Concerned citizens unite
For liberalists, 2016 can be viewed as the year the world changed for the worst. Or, as Queen Elizabeth II so aptly put it a few years back, an annus hor ribilis.
The fault lines of Western politics have shifted from left to right, from open to slowly being closed and a collective roar of disapproval has been voiced on the concept of globalisation – viewed by many as benefiting only a small group of politicians and the rich elite.
Ever since the global financial crisis in 2008, a major backlash against globalisation has been predicted due to lacklustre economic growth and the ever-growing gap between rich and poor.
Brexit and the US presidential election left many of us shocked, uncertain about the future on a global scale. Never did some of us think we would see an inward-looking US or a UK independent of the European Union (EU).
As a citizen of the world, I felt betrayed. So let the significance of what transpired in South Africa last week, not be lost on us. It can become a watershed moment in our history.
Firstly, we commemorated the life of a selfless, incorruptible political giant who served the people and country – Ahmed Kathrada. Days later, the president of the country announced yet another cabinet reshuffle, which released a tidal wave of anger and condemnation, resulting in a proposed motion of no confidence in his ability to lead the country and numerous requests for him to step down.
Where last year’s global decisions came as a shock, the reality of those decisions in action are being felt and will be felt further during this year, such as the drive against free trade and international capitalism, propelled by the rise of anti-establishment populist politicians everywhere. There is a rebellious mood in the air, with people ready for more game-changing disruptions and more “protest votes” with presidential elections due in France and parliamentary ones in Germany.
This could mean a Europe where immigrants, free trade, the euro and the EU are no longer welcome. With global politics taking centre stage, it will be necessary for us to have a much deeper understanding of global political developments.
Of particular concern to South Africa are policies that affect trade and those that lead to increased volatility in the rand. The overriding factor is that any economic recovery is always held hostage by political developments.
South Africa is a case in point at this very moment. The country has recently endured a rare combination of both macro and micro events, which have negatively impacted our economy. These include plummeting commodity prices, a devastating drought, an excessively undervalued currency, the threat of sovereign rating downgrades – that has now become a reality.
We have been subjected to rife corruption, high unemployment, major political upheaval and irresponsible, irrational and ill-timed political decisions that completely disregard the interests of South Africa and its people.
That we have now had four finance ministers in just over a year, reflects the untenable degree of self-serving interest as opposed to the long-term economic growth and prosperity of the country.
The recent cabinet reshuffle where top-performing ministers were removed and non-performers left untouched, left us dumbfounded, with no plausible explanation as to why it was required when we have just started making progress on so many fronts. Our current volatile and polarised political climate will remain the single biggest threat to any real economic recovery.
The expectation for GDP growth for this year is just above 1% with our population growth at 1.7%. This means that our per capita GDP will be negative or stagnating over the next year or two.
To drive a sustainable, instead of a merely cyclical, economic growth recovery, South Africa needs to undertake structural reform, such as cheaper broadband, more productive labour, logistics infrastructure networks more efficient, and most importantly, improve the quality of our education system.
The performance of state-owned enterprises also needs to improve dramatically with sound fiscal discipline and corporate governance at the core of making this a reality. The one critical factor in enabling sustainable progress on structural economic reform in 2017 is the political will to make it happen.
So, how can we make our government an effective, ethical and accountable one in the run-up to a national elective conference in December and a national election in 2019?
The politics of the day are all about leadership succession, partisan politics, allegiances, survival of the fittest or survival of the un-fittest, for that matter. It is a difficult question to answer, but it is now more important than ever to behave and act as leaders in all our respective spheres of influence.
To speak truth to power when it matters, to have zero tolerance for any form of corruption and to focus on building a better South Africa for future generations. We need to focus on a values- based society where it is about dialogue, integrity, respect and building trust among people. We must defend our young democracy at all costs.
We, as concerned citizens, must stay involved and take the requisite action. As a nation, we are known to make miracles happen and there is no reason whatsoever why we cannot do it again.
Excerpt from NMMU chancellor Santie Botha’s chancellor’s dinner speech
