A South African traveling in-between towns, found another South African randomly fixing potholes all alone. He stopped to chat to him and found some hope in the process.
Nic Moolman met Tsepao on the way to Geysdorp, a town in Tswaing Local Municipality in the North West province of South Africa.
Nic stopped because he saw that Tsepao was fixing potholes on the road, but was not wearing any official clothing. It peaked his interest and he wanted to find out who had sent Tsepao or why he was fixing them all alone.
“This morning, driving between Delareyville and Geysdorp I met a young man who was completely alone, fixing potholes. I stopped to chat to him.
He says his name is Tsepao and he lives near Crispin side. I then asked him who sent him – or who he works for?
He answered by telling me that no one had sent him – he’s actually without work at the moment but some people break things down if they aren’t right – while others continue to make things right.”
The act of fixing potholes can be linked directly to the Broken Windows Theory, first introduced in a 1982 article by social scientists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling.
The Broken Windows Theory is a criminological theory that visible signs of crime, anti-social behavior and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes. The theory thus suggests that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, public drinking and fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes.
“Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the building, and if it’s unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or light fires inside.
Or consider a pavement. Some litter accumulates. Soon, more litter accumulates. Eventually, people even start leaving bags of refuse from take-out restaurants there or even break into cars.”
Under the broken windows theory, an ordered and clean environment, one that is maintained, sends the signal that the area is monitored and that criminal behavior is not tolerated. Conversely, a disordered environment, one that is not maintained (broken windows, graffiti, excessive litter, and potholes), sends the signal that the area is not monitored and that criminal behavior has little risk of detection.
With all sincerity, just before snapping a pic of Tsepao, Nic said goodbye and left him with a wish and hope for a better South Africa.
“I hope that one day when I’m old, I will get the opportunity to elect you as the President of our country.”
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