South Africa is in the throes of societal meltdown. Roads are crumbling, electricity infrastructure is collapsing under years of neglect and rampant corruption. Critics point to the architects of Apartheid, who insisted that the various peoples of this country did not have sufficient shared values to make a single society possible. Separate political systems, they insisted, were the way to go. 

A gas tanker exploded a few weeks ago, causing a number of deaths and a massive public outcry. Yet, a few days later, a fuel tanker overturned, and people streamed to the scene, hoping to scrounge a few liters of free gasoline. And this is not unique, it has happened before.  

At Jozini, on the border between South Africa and Swaziland, rampant killing of elephants and poaching of fish mars a once successful tourism site. Some members of the community try to intervene, but it looks like a lost cause. 

And yet.... Neighboring Namibia has a very successful tourism industry and significant community involvement. Local communities help conserve animals, clear invasive vegetation, run campsites, and share in the profits of commercial ventures. Clashes between communities and wildlife is managed with the involvement of the local population. 

I recently learned about the water crisis in parts of the USA, and specifically the risk of the Great Salt Lake in Utah running dry. The presenter did not see a great chance of people acting to prevent this threat to the common well-being.

And, lastly, in a community in the Cape Town region riddled with poverty, crime, and organised gangs, a private community service organization was recently robbed. Gift of the Givers had intervened to help victims of a fire that devastated low-income areas and informal settlements. Their offices were broken into, and food and clothing, as well as office equipment stolen. No news, right? 

Wrong. Within hours community members were turning in family members who had participated or bought stolen property. People told of their shame at seeing sons and relatives with stolen goods. 

How is the sense of community, the recognition of common values, and the trust in societal mechanisms to be restored?