Page 33 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 30
P. 33
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comedians and skit makers even without on his TikTok page:
any formal training in media practice. We In South Africa, a significant issue is that
are somehow raising more rich jokers/ instead of actively seeking solutions to the
comedians while our medical doctors, problems, people often resort to making fun
scientists, engineers, and those who could and jokes about these issues.
create the infrastructure we need for Africa’s This cultural tendency to use humor as a
growth are fighting hard to make ends meet. coping mechanism leads to a lack of serious
Are we slowly creating a future that will be discourse and effective problem-solving.
full of jokers who are contented with buying As a result, those responsible for causing
Chinese gadgets because they can afford problems in society recognize that the worst
them, but lack the zeal to create an African consequence they might face is becoming the
technological system that will create its own subject of jokes.
gadgets? This undermines accountability and
There are lots of things to pull out of this perpetuates the cycle of problems, as there
concern that is slowly arising in our Africa. is little pressure on troublemakers to change
Especially how we are trivializing and their behavior or address the underlying
making jokes of serious matters of real issues.
continental and even national interests.
We should look into this trend before our
Vusi Thembekwayo puts it this way in a post jokes come back to haunt us.
ISSUE 30 | AUGUST 2024 33
