How many times have you been told that your credit card company responded with “Declined” or that your gym access card responded with “Access denied”? How many times did this happen when you are NOT guilty of any misconduct? With misconduct I mean that your gym bills are paid, your credit card has available funds in it, or the likes, yet this irritating – and often humiliating – message is blundered out at cashiers or points of access control hundreds of times a day.

I believe anyone can make a mistake; anyone can press the “check account” instead of “savings account” button on the electronic payment machine. Anybody could (although it is scarce with modern technology that makes a lot of typing unnecessary due to scanning technologies) enter the wrong customer number when activating or deactivating your gym access card. My problem is not with the fact that these errors or mistakes can happen, but with the way this is addressed.

For most people, including me, when this happens, it is an embarrassing situation. So, a little bit of discretion would not harm, until we can find out what the problem is. If my card was really declined, due to no mistake on the electronic payment machine’s operator, and the problem is dealt with discretion, nobody would feel the need to start a major argument with someone else at the pay point.

I did this the other day – had a major argument with the staff at my gym for blundering out loud that my access to the gym has been denied. I have only joined this particular gym 4 days prior to the event, and paid my fees on the day of joining. I have been visiting this gym three times in total, out of four days, and my card worked fine. When I wanted to enter the fourth time (which is the fifth day) the attendant almost shouted out “Denied!”

Some people sitting nearby immediately got this How-dare-he-come-to-the-gym-without-paying-his-membership look. Some even had a slightly amused expression on their faces. Some even looked as if they were happy for my sudden misfortune.

So, here I stand, at the access point, hearing this harsh word: Deeclaaaaint! Okay – so I am already humiliated, and decided to use this opportunity to tell them about discretion, closely mimicking their antics and tone of voice as they say the word, and telling them that their lack of training to do what they do, and their lack of common sense not to offend and humiliate people publicly, is one day going to cause a much bigger storm than the one they find themselves in at this current moment in time.

Now – the story is over, and I have finally been granted access to the gym, and my card’s problem was fixed, yet, you’re wondering what this post has to do with South African politics, as this article was tagged? Simple. The problem is with appointing the wrong people for the job, without proper training or skill, or without the ability to consider “the human factor” in matters such as these, simply because of South Africa’s history with racial problems in the past; simply because these people must now have a job, due to BBBEE, or some other political bullshit where they imply that they are”rectifying the past.” The problem is not with them rectifying the past. The problem is with them putting just anybody in any position they want, without considering the consequences of putting an unqualified person in that position. That is not rectifying the past. That is crippling the country.

It is not old archaic religious beliefs such as listening to the spirits of your ancestors that created orphanages and old age homes. That is very clear. You will find that usually, there are no constructs in such archaic beliefs to even contemplate the creation of such “inhumane” places such as orphanages or old age homes. But stating that Christianity (or any other organized religion, for that matter) is responsible for creating these places? That clearly is a sign of lack of understanding of what religion is, what it is for, and what the reach of religion is.

Our president, Jacob Zuma, has reportedly been quoted by The Times as saying that these institutions are the work of Christianity.

“As Africans, long before the arrival of religion and [the] gospel, we had our own ways of doing things,” Zuma was quoted by The Times at the launch of a road safety and crime awareness campaign at KwaMaphumulo in KwaZulu-Natal.”

Where on earth did he suck that out of? How does he justify this statement? How is “their own way” of doing things better than what “Christianity has brought to Africa?” I guess that depends on how exactly “their own way” works.

Is it defined as instead of putting them in a place where they are being cared for, rather leave them in the fields of glorious Africa to die? Maybe it Is defined as “well, see, this person here, well, he is disabled. I do not want take care of him. I am going to kill him.”

Certainly, people can be put in old-age homes, or children in orphanages, for the wrong reasons. I am by no means encouraging this, or denying that this phenomenon exists. It is merely childish and irresponsible to make a generalized comment as the one made by our president.

As a Christian (or any other organized religion follower), maybe, after I killed my disabled son, instead of letting people who are better trained to deal with him take care of him, I will maybe have a bit of conscience issues because I am not entirely strong enough to take care of him myself. This can be counter-acted by being involved in the care of my son. Visiting him regularly and have a special bond with him. The same can be said about leaving my frail, old parent or grandparent in an old-age home. I have a job. I have a family. I need to earn a salary. I need to take care of my family. I can not fit full-time care for all of my family members in my busy schedule. Times have changed. I do not cower in fear of my ancestors because of my actions. Modern society calls this a conscience.

Now – I think I just saw a flash of light and heard an eerie voice due to raising my opinion. Let me get up on my bed raised with bricks, so that the tokolosh can not reach me…