In South Africa as in Russia, Instability is a function of change.

It does not matter if it’s a person’s mindset , a country or a company. When new directions are set then old ways are broken and the entire system resets. Those who are now threatened lash out with extreme force. Their meal tickets torn to shreds , power ripped from their dirty paws and their relevance fading to insignificance. Halfway through any change it always looks like a disaster.

It happened in Moscow in 1991 when the Soviet Union was being transformed due to president Gorbachev’s reforms , which were similar to president Ramaphosa’s, and in fact a coup was attempted by hardliners. What saved democracy then was the centre and the fact that the vast majority of the population was sick and tired of the past regime. An uprising by a minority was quickly stifled.

It was vicious and violent. People died.

And so it is now in our beloved South Africa. The difference being that unlike in Russia the dying hardline elements have no organisation. Only to cause chaos. In many ways this is better than Moscow or even the battle against apartheid. A fight between organisations.

This is instead a war against blatant criminals. The important thing to bear in mind is you can’t burn down a mall twice, steal the same tv again or fund the movement. Because there isn’t one. This kind of chaos burns itself out fast

And the true colours of the hardliners are exposed , the boats are cast adrift and the entire country moves forward having dumped the trash. It was always going to be so.

We need fortitude , resilience and leadership to see us through. These are all hallmarks of our beautiful land.