Opinion | Why is the joke on assistant teachers?

Covid-19 came with a lot of bad than good. It aggravated the lives of many. People lost their jobs, while some were laid off and had to stay without a salary for months.

Companies shut down and some are still recovering. South Africa has a very high unemployment rate, but we saw light at the end of the tunnel when there was a plateauing of the unemployment rate through the youth employment initiative set in place by the government to help control the surge in Covid-19 cases in schools.

Assistant teachers were hired across nine provinces and that really made a difference in their lives.

They were able to provide for their loved ones and some managed to save towards their studies.

From the beginning of August, we saw people rejoicing and reminding us that assistant teacher’s contracts will expire at the end of August.

This happened for the entire month, people created jokes about it as if it’s a good thing, for a country with such a high unemployment rate, it is shocking to see people behave in that manner.

After receiving this wonderful opportunity, those youth were in a better position than before. I can assure you they are not happy that their contract ended because they have lost their source of income and their lives will go back to the sad reality of unemployment.

It’s sad to see that there are other people who see their misfortune as a joke.

Has losing a job ever been a joke? Why do we feel a need to laugh at someone for losing a job? Is it because we don’t want to see other people’s lives changing for the better? Why must we enjoy seeing people’s lives stagnant? Don’t we all wish to see our country with less unemployment rate? so why then do we turn their sad reality into a joke?

People have shown their true colours through this. It’s quite clear they don’t want you to progress in life, otherwise they wouldn’t laugh at the fact that you are losing your job.

It is not everyone who will be happy to see you progress in life. People will pretend to love you and make you believe they want the best for you but deep down in their hearts they want the opposite.

Jealousy has filled the hearts of many and in this case, they couldn’t help it but manifest it in public through social media statuses. Today the devil is who he is because of jealousy.

He wanted to take the place of God, he wished he was God. Many people are behaving exactly like the devil, they don’t want what is best for you. the fact that they are celebrating about your loss of a job and your chance at a better life is proof that they enjoy it when you are suffering.

There are certain things that should not be joked about, and this is one of them. you cannot find joy in a person losing their job, it doesn’t matter how you explain it, it is wrong at every level.

James 3 verse 14-16 says

14 – But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.  15- This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Laughing at other people for losing their job is not of God, it is of the devil.

Finding joy in other people’s pain is not of God, it will always be of the devil.

It doesn’t matter how you justify your “laughs”, but they are of the devil. The sooner you realise that your actions are wrong, the sooner you will humble yourself and ask God for forgiveness.

We were created in the image and in the likeness of God. We are capable of loving each other and wishing the best for them. we are capable of clapping hands when others succeed in life.

We are capable of doing good and wishing good for other people.

This fake love we are portraying is not our identity and we are capable of getting rid of it.

May God provide the ex-assistant teachers with another job opportunity. May their dreams become a reality. May their pain turn into tears of joy. Shalom!