By Alec Hogg
Hermanus, where we now live, had its moment of chaos five years ago. Since then things have been mostly peaceful. On Thursday last week, however, a violent protest against property rates increases closed off the main route into town. Yesterday, a small Land Party group (peacefully) marched to the Municipal offices to deliver a service delivery protest memo.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___What’s happening in one of the country’s best-managed municipalities reflects a national trend. Kevin Lings shared the image above as his “chart of the week” in the latest raft of data the Stanlib chief economist distributes to clients. It suggests 2023 will be democratic SA’s fifth successive record year of social unrest.
The table, compiled by Codera Analytics, also highlights the inverse correlation between economic growth and social upheaval. Unrest was minimal during SA’s years of plenty from 1997 to 2007. As the Zuma “counter-revolution” of corruption and state capture took hold, so did social unrest.
Election years are also tinder for SA’s combustible socio-economic cocktail. There was a sharp increase in xenophobic violence ahead of the 2016 Local Elections, another sharp increase ahead of the 2019 National poll, and a new record in 2021. With 2024’s watershed vote, white knuckle time has arrived again. Be prepared.
Sterkte
Alec
