Could we fall out of love with our country?
Category Blog
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time – and your government when it deserves it.”
This pearl of wisdom by Mark Twain, the American writer, humorist, publisher, and lecturer (1835-1910), may just as well have been penned with South Africa (2017) in mind.
It is a year that will be etched in South African political and economic history as the pinnacle of the process of ‘State Capture’. Moreover, a year in which sentiment, the key driver of the residential property market, was virtually at its lowest ebb in the past decade.
Are we becoming threatened by the unthinkable prospect that our country is somehow being hijacked? If so, it is highly unsettling.
Put another way, State capture is not unlike the spectre of somebody snatching your beloved partner from you.
Pride in SA
Our make-up as individuals is largely based on who we are, who we love, and the extent of our loyalty to, pride in, and love of South Africa.
Devotion to country may well be a different form of love. But it can be every bit as strong as the love we have for our partners.
If somebody was hell bent on capturing your partner, how would you feel about it?
Our love of country is defined by the role that the State plays in our well-being – both spiritually and materially. It’s ‘patriotic love’. But, right now, it is waning – creating a heavier gloom over national sentiment than in previous property downturns.
Could this possibly be the reason for a lacklustre Bafana Bafana and the Springboks?
It has certainly been a factor in the poor performance of the flat-lining residential property market since 2008
State Capture scourge
This scenario will persist until the South African Government fully confronts – and eliminates – the scourge of State Capture.
A positive outcome at the ruling party’s elective conference later this month should help to build patriotism. The event will certainly provide a critical indicator of where our country is headed.
The South African homes market has historically shown that it has an in-built ability to bounce back from adversity. When it does so, will the nation’s patriotism be restored?
December Selling
Have any home sellers thought of maximising on the December buyer activity?
Our team is working through December, which allows us to catch all of the buyers who are here and shopping.
Bear in mind that many agents close up shop in December, which means that we will have fewer competitive houses to worry about.
Author: Ronald Ennik
