South Africa Unrest: We Are Not A Failed State, But A Failed Global System

SOUTH Africa is in a tough spot at the moment and it’s frightening to see a system that already feels so fragile begin to implode. Over the past week, we’ve witnessed plunder and the destruction of property on a scale not experienced before. These actions were supposedly triggered by protests following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma, but there remain many unanswered questions as to what was at play to ignite the fuse.

This is the reality of living in a country that encapsulates global inequalities inside national borders. What we see here has relevance and resonance far beyond our own shores.

Inequality in South Africa is amongst the highest in the world. So is unemployment, especially for those under 25. This is the same generation of people who see through their cellphones everything they cannot have and will likely never have but has been promised of the post-apartheid