Amid growing societal volatility, lacklustre leadership and systemic decline, we are in a fight for the soul of our nation.

In my opinion, the year 1994, a moment etched into our collective memory as the dawn of a democratic South Africa, was never a clean slate. It was a beginning born from immense sacrifices, a tapestry woven with the threads of struggle, sorrow, as well as a significant number of unfulfilled promises.

While we entered this nostalgic era as a nation reborn, many among us remain heavily burdened by the ghosts of our hard and brutal past.

This being that the democratic dispensation, while a monumental victory, did not instantly heal the wounds of apartheid. Instead, it left deep, unaddressed scars, the remnants of which still haunt vast poor and marginalised communities across the nation, particularly young people.

This is our inconvenient truth - a reality where the legacy of segregation, poverty and systemic inequality continues to define the lived experience of millions, a constant and painful reminder that our journey to true freedom is far from over, and our collective story of true and meaningful transformation and equality far from being complete.

However, having said that, it is fundamental to note that the current socioeconomic and political crisis that we find ourselves in as a country is not solely...