Money Is Not The Root Of Evil.

Money is important. Many of us grew up thinking that money isn’t important. You know, money is the root of all evil. Even years later, when we learnt that the correct narration of the quote stated that the love of money is the root of all evil, we continued to believe that money isn’t important. Until you reach that age where you really realise that the quote should actually say that the lack of money is the root of all evil. Once one understood this, then I learnt that money is actually important.

I grew up with my parents and elders teaching me to seek other pleasures in this world. Pleasures that can be found naturally without the intervention or need for money. I was taught that money is this evil entity that eats souls. My parents prioritised other virtues and the values that build character. They never taught me the value of money.

From my childhood, the only lesson I remember about money is to give ten per cent of my allowance to the church. And I would do so every week. Even when I got my first job working in the school tuckshop, I would give the church R5 every fortnight after getting paid.

And you probably guessed it. I saw nothing wrong with this. To me, money was just something to use to buy food at school, save up to buy a few videogames and to use that money occasionally to take my girlfriend out on a date. Indeed, I saw nothing wrong with this.

Like most middle-class children, I never questioned my parents about money. We never had that conversation. I would think my richer friends were rude when they demanded money for doing chores at their homes. I was taught to do my chores and not expect a thank you for doing them. After all, they were my responsibilities.

It was drilled in me that money is evil and wanting it is the source of evil. To a large degree, I do not regret the lessons that my parents were trying to teach me. For instance, doing my chores without the expectation of a reward taught one to understand the essence of hard work. I am not one to drool over designer clothing and luxury goods. I am not one to surrender my dignity to materialistic vanity. The humble teachings of my parents make one appreciate that which one already has.

The danger, however, is that these humble teachings try to overlook the importance of money. Because when you become an adult, you get to understand just how very important money actually is. You get to realise that hard work alone is not the key to success.

You become employed, become the hardest working employee, yet the promotion is given to the guy who knows office politics. I will never forget how, in one institution I worked for, I went the extra mile in everything I did. I helped mark other lecturers’ papers, and I took and edited photos (and videos) for the campus to use as official marketing material. If there was an event on campus, I was the first to raise my hand to help.

One day, my HOD (Head of Department) sends me an email that there is a new lecturer who will be lecturing in the sister campus. This new lecturer is fresh from university and has no experience. I had 3 years by this time. So naturally, Thando, the team player who goes the extra mile, my HOD saw it fitting to ask me to mentor this guy.

I agreed. Roughly 4 or 5 months later, my HOD resigns. When they checked the system, it was either the new guy who would get the position or me. You probably guessed. The new guy got the position. The difference between him and me is that I refused to engage in office politics. I refused to be a yes man to the higher-ups. This guy didn’t have that problem. And so, he got the position.

A similar situation happened at the next place I worked. You see, when these events happened, I was heartbroken. I believed that being a teamplayer. I believed that one should do their work without expecting a reward. But, by not getting a reward for doing my work, as an adult, hurt me.

Because as an adult, you want the reward. You want the reward so that you can improve the conditions and standards of your life. I might not care about designer shoes and clothing, but I do care about my gaming. That reward I wanted so that I could enjoy my gaming. I do not care about common luxury goods, and I do enjoy luxury food. That reward I wanted to enjoy delicious, high-quality food.

It was then that I realised that money is very important and I had to destroy my childhood belief that it isn’t. We can even simplify the matter.

If you are sick, would you prefer the luxury of a private hospital? Where a team of experts can give you their undivided attention? Or would you prefer the convenience of a public hospital? Where corrupt businessmen and politicians have stolen funds, leaving them under-equipped and poorly managed?

Would you prefer having your own car? Enjoy the luxury of your freedom of movement, or would you prefer being in a taxi or public bus? Where, if you dare open the window in the morning, you’ll be hurled with the sharpest rebukes known to men?

It is weird that as I type this, my inner child is shocked. It feels wrong for me to write this. It feels wrong for me discuss the importance of money. My inner child is reminding me that money is the root of all evil. But my adult self is quickly reminding me that the lack of money is the true root of evil.

Take a drive through Umhlanga, through La Lucia, through Somerset West. Take a drive through any affluent neighbourhood. Thereafter, take a drive through the other parts of town. Parts where poverty rules.

I can argue that environments where the poverty is visible to the naked eye are where all the ails of society thrive. I remember watching a BBC documentary discussing crime in the country and how various patrol groups are doing their part to combat it.

They looked at a patrol group in Alex and a patrol group in Parkhurst. The patrol group in Parkhurst were fully equipped. They had dedicated cars, quad bikes, pepper sprays, guns, walkie-talkies and a fully-fledged control centre.

In contrast to the patrol group in Alex. The only thing the Alex group had were reflector jackets. What really stood out for me is that while the crew was shooting in Alex, they were able to capture so many crimes. Either the crime just happened, was happening or was about to happen.

In one scene, the cameraman panned his camera amateurishly to capture a woman who was being stabbed by a man. As the cameraman captured this, it seemed the stabbing had just ended. I believe so because one of the patrol guys saw this act and yelled at the guy. They couldn’t track him down, but interestingly, one of the ladies in the patrol group said the guy was the girl’s boyfriend, and this wasn’t the first time.

Shortly after that explosive scene of violence, another girl was heard screaming. She saw the patrol group and ran straight towards them. Full of fear and adrenaline, the lady explained how her ex-boyfriend was trying to rape her. Mind you, all this happened in a matter of minutes. And yes, in the documentary, there were other crimes documented as they had happened, were happening or about to happen.

Going back to the group in Parkhurst, complete opposite. As heavily equipped as they were, during the shooting of the documentary, there was no crime captured. What these guys were doing was driving around and checking abandoned buildings. In one shot, a group of guys were walking on the street. The patrol guys said these guys work for one of the homeowners, and that’s when they retire from work.

Forget the documentary. When I was a child, through my mother’s work for Save The Children, I was heavily involved in the many community work they did. The sheer horror stories one heard at times. I have lost count of how many times I had of uncles molesting their nieces. I have lost count of how many times fathers and mothers were alcoholics who abandoned their children. In poverty-stricken communities, the social ails that plague society are evident and visible for all to see.

Not in affluent areas. When such is discovered in affluent areas, it makes the news. The reason for this is that it is an anomaly. It is newsworthy to read about a house in Sandton where illegal and dangerous criminals run their enterprises. Because this house is an anomaly. However, in poverty-stricken communities, such a house is probably on every second street.

It is when you realise this that one understands the importance of money. I am not a politician. Because the logical and morally correct question to ask in such a situation is what are our leaders doing? Why is it that in 2025, we still have areas that are heavily in poverty? How is it that South Africa is arguably the strongest country, economically and politically, on the African continent, but in this country of ours, almost half of its people live below the poverty line? 32 years post-Apartheid.

We can definitely chant not yet Uhuru. But I am not a politician. I am a man. A man who wants a family. A man who wants his family to be safe. A man who wants his children to enjoy the benefits of quality education, play in the streets without the fear of being taken away in a white Polo. I am a man who wants to protect and provide for his family to the best of his abilities.

In this capitalist society, money is a very vital tool in ensuring this protection and provision. I can indulge in my youthful naivety. Cast my burden onto Christ and believe that the world will reward me for trying to be a good man. But the world doesn’t work like that. My work experiences that I have shared in this essay remind me that the world does not work like that.

Indeed, I am not advocating for immorality and a vain belief in money. No. What I am advocating for is that we understand the importance that money plays in society. That in this capitalist society we live in, money is the lubricant that oils the gears of living.

Money is not the root of evil. The love of money is not the root of evil. It is the lack of money which is the root of all evil. Money is important. And if you are like me, it is as important to destroy any notions and beliefs that you grew up believing that make you think otherwise.