So many big names come to mind when you hear the word “freedom fighters". The Mandela’s, the Mbeki’s, the Motlanthe’s, the Zuma’s, the Hani’s, the Biko’s, the Madikizela’s, the Adams’s, the Sisulu’s, the Tambo’s, the Mxenge’s, the Abrams’s, the Lekota’s, the list is endless. Some names we’ve never heard of because they didn’t live long to be recognized for their efforts, they didn’t make it to the history books, but we’re where we are today because of every little thing they have done in the name of freeing our country

They’re the freedom fighters, we can rightfully call them that, they deserve it at every level. They left the country, one by one, in groups, but they had one thing in common, they wanted a free country for all. They built friendships, created enemies, fought the struggle together. Some survived, but some sadly fell before they realized the dream of a free country for all

They probably still remember everything, probably blame themselves for those who fell because they couldn’t save them. They lost their families, lost their homes, probably couldn’t even say goodbye to those who passed away while they were in exile. Some wives found new husbands and some husbands found new wives and everything else sad you can imagine happened to them while they were fighting for this freedom

I can imagine how hard it must have been, having to say goodbye to your friends without even the proof that you might see them again, even worse, to just disappear without telling anyone where you were going for your safety and theirs

Condolences to all those who fell, through their sacrifices, we’ve got an opportunity to sit on the other side of the table and argue without the fear of being killed for having different opinions to theirs. We can call them out when they oppress us without the fear of being killed and for that I'm grateful

That’s why I don’t blame them “Politicians” for looking away when they turn a blind eye even on obvious things. When they come up to say “everyone accused of corruption should step aside until he/she's been cleared of any wrongdoings” then turn around and reinstate the same person when we're not looking

I don’t think it’s fair for them to abandon those they fought with during the apartheid, when everything was bad. They understand the struggle they went through, the difficulties they faced, the conditions they had to live in, the sacrifices they made. I for one would never do that, I’ll never turn my back from someone who gave me a reason to live, to fight, someone who had my back when there was no one there to look after it

They call one another Comrades, they watch each other's back, support each other, open opportunities for each other and that’s great. That’s probably what every person should do, look out for one another, other nations have proved how beneficial that is “story for another day”

We on the other hand can’t do much about that, we can make as much noise as we can, blaming them for corruption and nepotism, but it won’t really matter. All we can do is distance ourselves from those people, stop giving them the power to control us, accept that those who selflessly fought the struggle are either gone or retired at home with no loud enough voice to make noise, to change what’s happening

We are only left with those who want to enrich themselves for the minor contribution they made, I’m talking about the mining magnate, the tenderpreneurs, and those who are just rich with no clear indication to what they do or did to earn their riches

There are tenders we never hear about until there’s an allegation of corruption that needs to be investigated. Do you ever ask why, why it was never made public for everyone to bid? The answers are there, you just need to ask more question for yourself

But I don’t blame them for anything, including using the state resources to enrich themselves while blaming everything they fail to accomplish on the apartheid system 27 years later. They probably paying themselves for the years they suffered. They're finally coming to terms to accept that they were not fighting for us, but for themselves, as they occasionally confess that “they didn’t fight the struggle to be poor”

I’m not even concerned to see them walking freely among us with huge judgment hanging over their heads because I know they might never see the jail door

But I'm more concerned about the youth that seems to think you can't get anything without knowing someone in higher places because that simply means the damage and the mess they create will spread on to other generations. We will have kids that will barricade the roads fighting for government funds and steal them once they come out. We will have youth that will feel comfortable staying at home, doing nothing, and simply blame it on our corrupt granddaddy who won't leave the parliament because he’s still desperate to loot even more tax money

They say they create jobs, don’t get me wrong because I’ve never for a second doubted them when they say that. In fact, I see the proof, where we should be working when I go around, the jobs they create. There are many projects that are being built on a daily basis, but I always wonder if the unemployment rate is that high who works on those shopping malls they build every month, who gets employed in those shops they open on completion, who works on those factories they build by the side of every freeway

I’ll tell you their main problem, they never make follow up. They sit in their big offices ready to chow every money as soon as it becomes available, they turn a blind eye to every scandal that’s happening until it makes the headlines

They loot the funds that are made available for people to start businesses and say “it’s in your hands, vukuzenzele, we will fund you if you have a business idea” without any substantial evidence to support that

They will be on radio stations, making it all look easy, how you can get funds for your business, what guidance they provide, but when you do follow up you get to hear about a lot of things they didn't mention when you first heard about them, the kind of help they provide to people in need, when they try to shine, making themselves look better

I was told by many, who walked the road before my time how hard it is to get funding. How the funders scrap your ideas and simply use it after, how they send you from pillar to post to request countless details they require, but with time I realized that was not entirely true, but to meet the requirements to get the funds is the problem. You can go to all the funding institutions you'll see the money is there. And you can tell they want to give it to you, but when you go through the details, what they want you to do, to have to qualify for the funds is a job and a half

Dear hustlers, we need to distance ourselves from those people. We need to accept that we only have each other to get our dreams to life. They’re right in one thing, we need to open businesses because they failed for so many years to create proper jobs opportunities for us, but we shouldn’t expect any help from them because all they know is feed themselves with every penny that lies in front of them

We need strong leaders that will selflessly lead without thinking about how they are going to get their hands on the funds that are made available to benefit the masses, and those leaders are us, the entrepreneurs. We are those leaders who will change the whole country for the better. Let’s all wake up and get to work, even if you struggle, good things take time. Don’t you dare feel like you're failing because soon, things will turn around for the best, only if you hang on, you keep working towards that goal you set for yourself

Hustle until you can positively influence the decisions they make behind closed doors to protect those around you, to uplift those you watch suffer because of their selfish and unkind acts and all the decisions they made pretending to care on their way to the top

It’s not easy, anyone can tell, even more so with lockdown after lockdown, but we need to hang in there, probably soon we’ll be out of the bushes

We don’t wanna say any more goodbyes. Wear your mask, sanitize your hands and stay at home when you’re not feeling well. Those are the basic things one can do. Make sure it doesn’t go any further, we’ll ask questions later. You have yours, I have mine, plenty of them actually, but there seem to be fewer answers to no answers at all

Don’t give anyone an opportunity to issue any more tenders, to enrich themselves in the name of helping you, developing your community, improving your lives because that hasn’t yelled any positive results thus far

Do whatever needs to be done so we can maintain our freedom, free will to do what we do best, hustle without limitations, no lockdown to hinder us from getting to certain places, selling certain products, traveling to certain places at certain times because looking to them to bring real change is like waiting for Jesus to come back

They can blunder for all they can but cutting their time short should be our priority

It's all about one day at a time, one day at a time

Picture by: Internet