Apologise? We’ve given that up long back

e have different expectations. But it would be nice to have just a word of explanation, a word of warning so that we could plan and maybe a word of apology. When this is suggested the response is, ‘you must be crazy; don’t you know we’ve given up apologising long ago.’ And, of course, it is true. When did we last hear a convincing explanation of our economic woes? When did we last have a scheduled plan warning us of power cuts on such and such a day for such and such hours? A nation that gives up explaining, abandons apologies, is on a fast track to losing its way completely.
If you ask the question: ‘what are our leaders thinking? They are intelligent men and women; they must know what they are doing,’ what answer do you hear? ‘There is no logic in it any more. People are just scrambling for what they can get for as long as they can get it. Tomorrow has been cancelled. We just live for today.’
Some years ago a boat full of whiskey foundered on the shore of an island off Scotland. All the islanders descended on the wreck and carried off crates of whiskey before the owners could reclaim their cargo. When the police arrived the islanders had hidden away their treasure and claimed ignorance and innocence and soon a book celebrated the event appeared; Whiskey Galore. At times it seems as though our leaders rejoice in power for its own sake and the way they have found of making fortunes even if it is from a wreck and they are just intent on enjoying that fortune for as long as it will last.
But it seems so unbelievably irresponsible to build on sand and just wile away the time while the ‘whiskey’ lasts. People are dying for lack of medical treatment and now we hear that the UN says crop failures in the southern provinces of Zimbabwe and the rapid erosion of incomes caused by Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate … means that about ‘2.1 million people will face serious food shortages as early as the third quarter of 2007. The number of people at risk will peak at 4.1 million in the first three months of 2008 – more than a third of Zimbabwe’s estimated population of 11.8 million.’