Are You A South AfriCAN Or A South AfriCANT?

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [Daily Maverick] The Real Work Starts Now Branko Brkic These are tough times, fraught with danger and uncertainty. Hope you are ready for them. We’re not talking about what happened yesterday at the polling stations of the 2019 elections. The ultimate result of your effort on Wednesday may already be predetermined (the ANC is all but certain to emerge victorious) and the only unknowns are the shades of it which, as important as they might be, are still just that, the shades. The really tough part we have in mind starts, well, today. No matter what the polls say, South Africa remains a brutally divided country, its ruling party of 25 years even more ruthlessly so. Its internal divisions may soon slip out into our daily lives and the streets of South Africa. Make no mistake — there will be no stability until that not-so-inner struggle has a measurable, clear outcome. Another question facing us right now is just how much support extremist political organisations and individuals will gain. And how many will end up in Parliament, free to spew hatred, threats and calls to violence while protected by the People’s House rules? If we are to stand a chance of making it to the other side, we must redefine the very idea of responsible citizenry and our duties to prevent another lost decade, or even a lost generation. A few years ago, someone asked me: Why do I need to help the media, or anyone else, for that matter? I pay my (very high) taxes. In normal times and a normal society, that indeed would have been enough. But normal left the station a long time ago. These are desperate times. Now that the ballots have been deposited into the blue and pink IEC boxes, we need every South African to continue upholding the values of active citizenry. Collectively, we must continue our effort to rebuild South Africa from the wreckage left in the wake of nine years of Jacob Zuma. And to do so, we need to remain vigilant. With few notable exceptions, our government, our institutions of democracy, state-owned entities, civil society, the media, are in tatters. The size of the repair job is huge. So we cannot just vote and walk away, as we did so many times before, hoping and expecting that normality will return on its own. Or that politicians will fix this hot mess on their own. It will require every South African to chip in and lend support, in any way possible. Now is our chance, our duty with a reprieve from the tyranny of corruption — to do what’s right: Be heard when you see injustice, stupidity and/or incompetence. Be felt when you are disgusted with the politics of hatred, racism and ugliness. Be seen when the streets need to be filled with protest. Show to the forces of evil what you stand for. Because YOU MATTER. So remain in touch with your own community. Get active in civil society. Follow the media. The real media. Help the media. A good start would be to become, or encourage others to become, a Maverick Insider. Without a free, truly independent media, our democracy won’t survive and thrive as it should. We need your help to ensure it does. By [becoming a Maverick Insider,]( you’ve taken your first step in active citizenry. Alternatively you can encourage others to sign up to our newsletters [here](. By doing so, you'll be #spreadingthenews - the real news - and giving yourself a chance to win some amazing prizes. Whatever you do, never forget this: Evil wins when good people do nothing. Let’s not allow the first 25 years to go to waste. Consistent efforts by motivated, hopeful and active citizens can reshape a country in a short space of time. Other countries which have suffered way more devastation have come back from the brink. We can do it too, but only together do we stand a chance of having the kind of future we all want. And deserve. [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( Copyright © 2019 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. You are receiving this mail because you are awesome. [Getting too many emails from us? Manage your preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](