Disappearing societies; the individual is at risk

So says the good book that at the end of the day man dies and mourners go about the streets. So is the case with popular DJ Alex Felix Ndawula who passed on last week.

 The eulogies have been many. There is nothing more to add in that direction. One of the most intriguing views was that Alex, who by his own revelations, was an outgoing, extrovert, with countless friends and buddies, literally ‘died alone’. 

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In his last days the man, who had played music in clubs on the radio and at various functions, in the company of a myriad of friends and admirers, would be seen with a lone helper struggling to move. In one of the articles about him in the local press, Alex had said he grew up in a society where everyone was for everyone. He had so many people he called uncles and aunties who were not his blood relatives. It was a society that was very interested in the oneness of humanity. He went on to say that these days people are more to themselves and many young people are only about drinking and partying, and nothing more. A host of people came out and judged those ‘fair weather friends’ who were not there for Alex in his last days but were now pretending to be hurt. 

The story of people being on their own in the hours of need, especially in sickness, is commonplace these days as opposed to the past. Past is about 50 years ago.  It was the norm that as a child of the community it disciplined you and also tried to ensure that you were well catered for, whatever the blood relations. It intrigues many that what we call ‘Ubuntu,’ is fast disappearing. But this is something we are going to have to get used to as the world embraces the dispensation of neo-liberalism. In this era most of what unites society is under attack.

The irony is that the individual is supreme as opposed to the society especially if he has money. So privatization set in and now everyone is to themselves.There is competition for the individual to be ahead of others and keep there. In doing so he steps on others.  The social safety net was perforated by the pressures of privatisation and replaced by a mockery of what is called ‘guiding policies’ set up by the government which ironically collects taxes to provide services to the people. Now they have given that responsibility to individuals who are barely accountable to the taxpayer or citizen.  The school, which brought together students on account of their abilities, is no more. The ones with money get the best services. 

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The poor are bound to remain in chronic poverty because they cannot afford fees. They will be eaten eventually with no land or property. They will be slaves of the rich. The hospital, which treated all for what was considered ‘free,’ yet the taxpayer actually paid for the service, is now presenting invoices. So those who cannot afford will die or deteriorate and seek help from friends who are also struggling with their own bills. Same applies to public spaces. The green areas that used to bring together people of all walks of life for recreation, networking and socialisation are all being sold to the highest bidder for ‘development’. Communal lands, forests and lakes and rivers have suffered the same fate. ‘Regulation’ means capital freezing out those who are of lesser economic means. Same applies to cooperatives and trade unions. 

In many African countries, the latest being Tanzania, communities are ‘relocated’ and their ancestral land carved out into protected areas so that tourists may enjoy game hunting to bring in ‘much needed’ foreign exchange. These projects are supported and funded by the mighty donors ostensibly to ensure that the country earns enough to repay its loans to the same people. 

The same applies to our multiparty political dispensation ,which in many cases was donor driven. It is those with money, however shallow they are who are holding office -together with those who control means of force. Anything that denigrates egalitarianism is an affront on social cohesion. Neo-liberalism with the policies of privatisation, and the removal of government in the provision of social services is in effect about the collective destruction of society to make it vulnerable to the whims of a few people who are in alliance with those who control capital. 

Most importantly it is an affront on society, and culture as it puts economic survival above keeping people together. All the evictions in rural areas are sending young people to urban areas where they get lost into what is called youth and urban culture. These are really shallow concepts that emphasize material wealth, the appreciation of sex and sexuality, the family and gender, diets and dress codes as portrayed in Western culture. 

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The wigs, bleaching, homosexuality, obsession with extreme aspects of the Abrahamic faiths come from this direction. Most of what the Alex Ndawulas grew up knowing as society and togetherness has now been replaced by a very superficial and shallow form of association. This is because the main target is money and as long as you have it, you have arrived. The other things like love, sympathy, empathy, discipline and integrity among others are immaterial and an impediment if they stand in the way of individual progress. That is why we have all these cases of people including children killing their parents for property because they are in a hurry to ‘arrive,’ and be part of the society that neo liberalism has designed as ‘successful’ at whatever cost. It is more about the goal than a decent process. The friends of Alex who were not there for him are being blamed for nothing.

The world Alex came into is not the world he has left behind. It is risky for one to insist on living in the world we had before the government took a back seat leaving society in the hands of capitalist and ruthless fortune hunters. It leads to disappointment.   

The era has unleashed a plethora of concepts and applications which have destroyed the oneness of humanity. We are now all at the mercy of individuals who are looking out for everything they can lay their hands on because they have money and power.  In this realm everyone fights for himself and has little time and resources to keep his neighbour in comfort. It is sad but that is the reality. May Alex Ndawula’s soul rest in eternal peace as mourners take lessons on the streets. 

Mr Sengoba is a commentator on political and social issues

Twitter: @nsengoba