Mandates and what it means for us?

Each person within the border of a city or town has a mandate.

Each organisation and institution has a mandate.

The mandate gives you the authority to act in a certain way.

The government’s mandate is to govern. To define the law and upheld it, to protect our borders, to represent the people accurately in other countries with qualified delegates, and to prosper the nation. They also give us the Bill of Rights that governs our every move, the way we live and how we act.

SARS’s mandate is to gather the taxes and distribute it accurately to the proper authorities so that our roads, dams, rivers, and hospitals, for example, can be in perfect conditions.

The municipality’s mandate is to serve the community. Within the many branches of this institution, it is narrowed down to departments: water, electricity, parks, roads, road safety, buildings and upholding the by-laws which make every city unique.

Religious institutions are the moral compass of the people. For instance, the church’s mandate is to spread the gospel, care for the poor, take care of the elderly, look after the widow, and orphaned child.

The police’s mandate is to protect each citizen against crime.

The hospital’s mandate is to take care of the sick. Their Socrates oath is very clear in its expectation of them.

The business owner’s mandate is to bring capital into the town, deliver a service and take care of his employees.

The school’s mandate is to educate the child and prepare him for a career.

The college’s mandate is to educate and shape the student for his chosen profession.

The parent’s mandate is to teach children the way they must live so that they can prosper. They lay the foundation whereupon all other institutions build. If the foundation has cracks, the walls will be skew.

Art, culture, and sport’s mandate is to replenish, to build, to motivate and keep the spirits high. They speak to the people in different forms and beautify our land.

Charities mandates plays a vital part within the structure. They are the extended arms of each of the above branches. Support groups, soup kitchens, vegetable gardens... the list goes on. They all play a vital role on the ground level. And must be taken seriously by all other people.

These mandates should work together to form a unity within the community.

When we look at them separately, we understand their vision and mission and keep them accountable to it.

However, to be more effective, the mandates must join hands with one mission; to change the community culture and maintain a healthy environment. Now, more than ever, it is necessary to do so.

South Africa faces hardships within its borders. every town and city shows neglect while people burn and ran amok without any accountability or responsibility. Everything crumbles around us. The government cannot do it alone. The different political parties cannot do it alone no matter how great their slogans are, or the grant promises they make. Nor can all the organisations or institutions. It must be a collective undertaking.

No man is an island and the words of JF Kennedy are still true: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Instead of working against each other, we should find a middle ground. A place where we can take hands and work together as a collective. Not for our own benefit but for the benefit of the community. The stronger the community, the stronger are our cities.