VN November 2020

Vetnuus |November 2020 48 Life plus 21 without parole Mike Lowry Mike Lowry has been in veterinary practice for "life plus 21" years. In this column, he shares his experiences and opinions . Regulars I Life plus 21 Some years back, when all the political change was occurring in our beloved country, I took time to decide what was needed in this besieged land. We needed communication, both road and electronic; we needed justice, both in the courts and by way of the police; we needed medical care and schooling, although this did not affect me as my children had all completed their tertiary education. And finally, adequate food, power and fresh water. You can go through this list and see where we are currently. Unfortunately, far from the required elements in many cases and deteriorating rapidly. So where do we stand right now? A good question, which I found answered very nicely with the occurrences at the Fairview Racecourse recently. What happened there cannot be in any way condoned – horses hacked to pieces by disgruntled grooms – that is as barbaric as once can get! But, the public response left very little to be desired. Yes, there were thousands of people who were extremely critical of what happened and who were prepared to do their bit for the horses and trainers to ensure the safety of the animals. The outcry spread worldwide in but a few days, with comments coming from around the globe – yes people do care about animals possibly more than they care about their fellow humans, which in many cases leave lots to be desired. Then there was the ship that turned turtle carrying cattle from Australia to the east. Again, an outcry, indicating people’s concern for animals. And the ship carrying thousands of live sheep to the east for slaughter. The next newsworthy thing was the murder of the young farmer at Senekal. This perhaps was the last straw as far as farmmurders is concerned – yes, I agree we have not seen the end to it but the reaction to the brutal loss of this young life was extremely heartening. Later, with the EFF march in Senekal, the situation was tinder-dry and ready for an explosion, which fortunately did not happen. The standoff by farmers was totally controlled and the suggested disturbance by EFF members was a damp squib. Why? This was perhaps answered by a few red shirted ladies who were questioned by the media and indicated that they were unsure of why they were there and what their reactions were supposed to be. They did enjoy the free shirts and the cash they got for their attendance, though. One tires trying to decipher all this and working out where we are, and where we are going, and why this deterioration has been so great. One very obvious factor is the moral degradation of a large portion of the population.Yes, there are still many very concerned and caring people in this country as shown so adequately by the Fairview incident. But there are hordes of people who have lost their moral compasses completely, or possibly never knew they had such a thing. Recently, a truck carrying food products overturned in an African country and not a single bag of the food was stolen by a vast number of people that were onlookers – here, trucks are intentionally burnt and looted with in many instances the drivers still inside the vehicles. Who is responsible for this moral decline and why is it not being controlled? I would suggest the politicians who show no leadership and who in many instances promote the decline. And they do this with total impunity. Yes, a moral base is undoubtedly the responsibility of the parents in bringing up their children and policing agencies, where they are still functional, are really only treating the symptoms of the decline and not the source. The fact that the Zondo commission has spent millions and not jailed a single person despite being given plentiful evidence is also an indictment of the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats that hold high office at inflated salaries and do nothing to arrest the situation – excuse the pun! And finally, the cliché – “For evil to succeed, the just man must do nothing.” Judy and I had the opportunity to spend some years overseas. Life was extremely easy and boring – there was certainly no daily excitement which is so prevalent here; in fact the newspaper one week carried the front page headlines that a fourteen year old boy had been called before the court. His crime was spitting at a policeman. Here, if you had murdered him you may have made the fourth or fifth page. On coming home Judy, going through Oliver Tambo customs was greeted by a large mamma “Welcome home Madam”. That lady did not know what hit her! With tears in her eyes Judy gave her a huge hug and said “if only you knew how much that means to me”. Once Africa is in your blood you will not readily live at peace anywhere in the world and we need skills and leadership to change our country round! Where do you stand and where is your place in this? v