Durban - The state our country is in this week reminded me of the term “black elephants”.
No, I’m not referring to the strange phenomenon of African Americans supporting Donald Trump’s Red Elephants, the Republican party.
Environmentalist Adam Sweidan coined the term “black elephants” to describe the global time bombs that are there for everyone to see but everyone who’s anyone ignores.
Sweidan crossed “black swan” - an unexpected event with enormous consequences - and “elephant in the room” and produced “black elephant”.
He was quoted in a 2014 article as having complained: “There are a herd of environmental black elephants gathering out there.”
These included global warming, deforestation and massive water pollution. South Africa is not immune to these global black elephants, but we also have our own special ones, which include the “triple challenges” our leaders often speak about without doing enough to speed up their extinction.
The black elephants of inequality, poverty and unemployment were brought into sharp focus when we were all commanded to stay at home, and then this week we scratched our heads about how to re-open schools and universities. Everyone realised many of us had no place to call home, no laptop and had little to eat.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was right in saying: “The promise we made on the 27th of April 1994 can no longer be deferred.”
As we slowly get back to normal, a lot must change. Pronto.
It’s time we forged a fair, sustainable economy for all.
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