G20 Delegates Fly Over Potholes, Landing in PR Perfection
While delegates gaze upon newly tarred roads and manicured verges, the FT conveniently omits the everyday reality for millions in South Africa's economic hub. Decades of chronic underinvestment, corruption, and failing service delivery mean that these 'fixes' are often fleeting—cosmetic surgery for a city with a terminal illness. One might wonder if the citizens get to enjoy these 'improvements'
after the high-rollers depart, or if the potholes magically reappear, like a cruel magic trick. The message is clear: global elites deserve clean roads and pretty flowers. The residents who actually pay taxes? They can wait for the next photo op. It's a tale as old as time: dress up the stage for the powerful, ignore the squalor backstage. (And no, this isn't about 'local governance issues' when
global institutions benefit from the facade.)