COUNTDOWN TO THE APOCALYPSE

The great Les Brown once said; “Commitment is seen when you have bacon and eggs for breakfast, the chicken was involved but the pig was committed, we have to be the latter.” This illustration came to mind as I was thinking about Climate Change and our eagerness as emaSwati to make a difference through the clean-up campaign.

It dawned on me that this clean-up campaign has somehow become the full responsibility of companies, organisations and government, instead of us civilians who are partly to blame for the litter and pollution in this beautiful kingdom. There is absolutely no sense of urgency in this country and that will be our downfall.
For years we have been bombarded with information and news on climate change, from articles and stories on the depleting O-zone layer to ravaging storms and as of late, prophecies of ‘death storms and earthquakes’. Climate Change has been an ongoing process that has unfortunately led to one of the most confusing summer seasons we’ve ever experienced and will eventually lead to the demise of planet Earth. We are literally counting down to the apocalypse. The clean-up campaign is a concept that is trying to save us from a ticking time bomb, but alas no one seems to be taking it seriously, there truly is ‘no rush in Swaziland (Eswatini)’. This campaign is being propelled by government and a few organisations, including this publication, when it really ought to be led by us.

environment

Climate Change is the direct result of a depleting environment, with all the garbage we see on the streets on our way to work, the forests and rivers that have turned into dumping sites, we ought to be the leaders of this clean-up campaign, because we need it. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no commitment from the majority of emaSwati, things are being done at a snail’s pace and this weather is demonstrating the fruits of our labour or lack thereof.

The streets and living areas in some parts of this country have become garbage centrals and this doesn’t seem to be an immediate concern to some. I am also partly to blame as a citizen of this beautiful kingdom, my lack of assertiveness when addressing someone who’s littering, my fear of being ridiculed when suggesting to neighbours a clean-up exercise around our compound and my ‘don’t care’ attitude when walking along the streets of Mbabane not picking up the litter along the way. These things show that I’m also contributing to the problem and it’s a sight for sore eyes.

We are quick to prophesy doom but never take the initiative of solving the problem or coming up with suggestions that could help ease the process. It’s not as hard as it looks, we could all start by taking that five or less minute walk to the nearest designated dumping site and throw our trash there instead of the nearest bush or river. We need radical protestors to start focusing all that energy on picking up litter around town, I mean preserving planet Earth is a cause to die for too. I always cringe at the fact that there are still individuals who blatantly throw out trash from their car windows with absolutely no remorse; I see it all the time. This is disturbing to say the least, but it further fuels the fire within me concerning this topic, and enough is enough.

No more will I sit by and watch our planet die, it’s time we took action, let us commit ourselves to taking action. If I cannot attend a scheduled clean-up campaign then I will clean-up my own yard or better yet, volunteer to take my neighbour’s trash to the designated dumping site instead of discarding it recklessly, like the individuals who discarded diapers at the doorstep of one civil servant. I’m not going to let ignorance be bliss and lay idle as we countdown to the apocalypse, I’m going to have to tell the apocalypse to wait just a minute, as I try to somehow stop Climate Change by cleaning the environment ‘with my fingers crossed while praying for a miracle’ and I suggest you do the same.

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