Redefining 'Immediately': A call for action in South Africa

I WAS scrolling through TikTok the other night, you know, just trying to escape the day, when a clip of an old kasi uncle stopped me mid-scroll. The slang was loud, the delivery was pure township poetry, and he dropped a line that spoke straight to the soul: “Andiyo moegoe!” Translation? Don’t play with me. Don’t test me. Don’t take me for a fool.

And suddenly, just like that, I was reminded of Minister Senzo Mchunu and his unforgettable attempt at redefining the urgency of the English language… because if there was ever a national moment where South Africans collectively wanted to look a politician dead in the eye and say “andiyo moegoe!”, it was when the minister confidently declared: “It was immediate, but there was a meeting that was coming.”

It’s December now, that magical month when the country exhales. Offices empty, traffic thins, politicians retreat into festive silence, and somehow, all of us discover the courage to say the things we avoided all year. December is that one time when even denial goes on leave.

And as we look back at the year we’ve survived, one word insists on being rescued, rinsed, and returned to its rightful meaning, immediately.

• We heard it from Minister Mchunu.
• We heard it from General Sibiya.
• We heard it more often than “stage 6.”

But this December, the word is knocking politely yet firmly on our conscience. It wants us to talk about how badly it’s been abused.

Because let’s be honest, in South Africa, “immediately” has lived a scandalous double life. Worldwide, it means now. Here, it means sometime between today and the next commission of inquiry.

Minister Mchunu’s “immediately” seemed to translate to:

• Immediately, after we form a new committee.
• Immediately, once internal processes conclude.
• Immediately, after the holidays.

And then, of course, the minister gave us the quote of the year: Urgency fixed by process, immediacy postponed by agenda, and action delayed by a meeting that was “coming”.

Then came General Sibiya. His “immediately” sounded real. In security, timing is oxygen non-negotiable. We imagined flashing lights, quick calls, decisive movement. But even here, the familiar snags appeared: paperwork frozen in time, approvals wandering aimlessly, and bureaucracy moving slower than a queue at Home Affairs.

In policing, “immediately” should be faster than a WhatsApp voice note. But our systems? They have their own sense of time.

December strips the language bare. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe we’re exhausted. Maybe we’re simply done pretending not to notice that urgency in South Africa is often theatre, not action. Our leaders speak in verbs; our systems move in circles. We’ve mastered the art of announcements that masquerade as progress.

And we, the people, have reached a simple conclusion: We don’t mistrust our leaders nearly as much as we mistrust their adverbs.

If trust is to be repaired in 2026, then “immediately” must be restored to its natural, uncorrupted form:

• Now.
• Without delay.
• Without detours.
• Without “a meeting that is coming.”

No more “we’re attending to the matter urgently” while the nation holds its breath and its data dwindles. South Africans understand urgency better than most. Storms gather in minutes. Load shedding returns in seconds. Taxis appear from nowhere like divine interventions. We know what “immediately” looks like.

So, to our leaders, with love and a sprinkle of festive humour, we ask: Stop stretching the word. Leave elasticity to bungee cords and K-Way jackets. A delayed “immediately” is not immediate. It’s simply a scheduled intention.

This year taught us:

• Announcements without action are just noise.
• Urgency without accountability is expensive theatre.
• “Immediately, but…” is the most honest political confession of all.
• And South Africans have Olympic-level skills in detecting verbal gymnastics.

So, to everyone who reached for the word “immediately” this year, December has handed it back to you heavier, clearer, and uncompromising.

In 2026, we won’t be watching your vocabulary. We’ll be timing your delivery. Not your promises, but your progress.

Act decisively. And preferably… immediately. If we are serious about rebuilding trust, the new year demands a new definition one that restores “immediately” to its rightful, urgent place. It must mean:

• Right now.
• Without delay.
• Without detours.
• Without a meeting that is coming.

No more “we’re attending to the matter urgently” while the nation holds its breath and its data runs out. South Africans understand immediacy better than most. We live where storms gather in minutes, load-shedding returns in seconds, and taxis materialise from thin air. We know what “immediately” looks like.

So, to our leaders with love, and a touch of festive humour a plea: Stop stretching the word. Leave the elasticity to K-Way jackets and bungee cords. An “immediate” action that awaits a meeting is not immediate. It is simply a scheduled intention.

A December Truth for the Future. This year taught us that:

• Announcements without action are just noise.
• Urgency without accountability is expensive theatre.
• “Immediately, but…” is the most telling confession of all.
• And South Africans have honed Olympic-level skills in detecting verbal gymnastics.

To all who reached for “immediately” this year: December has returned the word in its full, formidable weight. In 2026, we will be watching not your promises, but your progress. We are no longer parsing your adverbs; we are clocking your actions.

Deliver outcomes that match your commitments. Act decisively. And preferably, immediately.

* Nyaniso Qwesha is a writer with a background in risk management, governance, and sustainability. He explores how power, accountability, and innovation intersect in South Africa’s landscape.

** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.

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