Like people, institutions have their flaws. But just like people, how they deal with their flaws is inherently more important than the problematic behaviour itself.
If Eskom were a person, they would very clearly be a social pariah — the power crisis is unacceptable, but the lack of responsibility taken and the tone-deaf act of playing the victim would infuriate and sicken even the most die-hard of sycophants.
But they are not alone. Recently, after a much-needed reprieve from load shedding, several commentators have swooped in for cheap views by proclaiming that “we should be thankful that we have not had load shedding”, even if the problem still lurks in the background.
If the wave of mental health promotion has taught us anything, it’s that we should not let others dictate to us how we should feel. Being told to be grateful for something that should not be in question is akin to expecting someone to be thankful for the fact that they are not currently being punched in the face.
Yes, I am very glad that I am not being assaulted right now, but I am not grateful for this lack of assault. Why? Because that would normalise the act and make it somehow acceptable.
Luckily, this is the very same ethos that many South Africans tend to have — we are not grateful when the lights are on because we will not normalise living in a country with a failing power grid.
The simmering indignation we feel when the power goes off after a long day of work has since been harnessed by the private sector and its citizens.
Read: Load shedding respite is no political ploy: Ramaphosa
That same anger has now driven us to find answers. Whether large or small, efforts are being made by South Africans to fill in the gaps concerning our power generation and the management of our national grid.
Now that is something to be grateful for.
Mark Allewell
CEO, Sensor Networks
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