Morally Bankrupt Leadership
Service Delivery Failures
A Broken and Exclusionary Economy
Policy Confusion and Uncertainty
The Rise of Lawlessness
Morally Bankrupt Leadership
- Our democracy inherited a broken society from the Apartheid-regime, but by virtue of their election through a free and fair democratic process, the current governing party accepted the mandate to lead all South Africans and uphold the values of our Constitution.
- The current governing party has however abandoned their constitutional obligations to the people of South Africa. They have actively promoted immoral, corrupt, divisive and incompetent leadership and forsaken the spirit of ubuntu in favour of self-preservation, political profiteering, patronage and rent-seeking.
- The current governing party has repeatedly demonstrated that they make decisions in the interest of their party, and not the South Africa people. This has led to the breakdown of our institutions, rendering the government entirely incapable of meeting its mandate.
Service Delivery Failures
- The current governing party’s approach of focusing on equality of outcomes rather than on equality of opportunity has been wholly unable to reverse the inequality caused by the Apartheid-regime, and in some instances increased disparity.
- While gains have been made in expanding access to basic services, our government has been unable to provide everyone the basic and quality services they require to live a life of dignity and to have the prospect of upward mobility.
- Inequality has grown over the past three decades, and access to opportunities continues to manifest along racial lines.
- The almost complete break-down of the country’s railway infrastructure, and lack of public transport alternatives have kept the poor from accessing opportunities while entrenching
inequality. - Without access to quality education, healthcare, housing, safety and nutrition, millions of South
Africans are left without hope of escaping poverty.
A Broken and Exclusionary Economy
- The exclusionary and discriminatory nature of the economy built by the Apartheid-regime under international isolation has not been reversed despite numerous efforts the past 30 years.
- This has been perpetuated by a poor education system that continues to disproportionately disadvantage black South African children.
- Our economic infrastructure such as our railways and ports are crumbling, our industries and homes are without electricity for hours every day, and little has been done to remove the barriers to economic opportunity for those that were traditionally excluded from the mainstream economy.
- Due to the lack of basic service delivery, draconian labour laws, and the stranglehold that trade unions have over our government, our labour force productivity is constrained while government’s over-regulation is stifling private sector innovation and inhibiting the creating of sufficient job opportunities.
- Save for an increasingly concentrated corporate minority, South African companies simply cannot compete on the international stage, and the cost of doing business is ever increasing – leaving our country behind in the global race for economic competitiveness.
Policy Confusion and Uncertainty
- The hope for an explosion of opportunity for all South Africans after the fall of Apartheid has not been realised.
- The current governing party policies have been driven by a confused combination of capitalist, socialist and communist ideologies, driven by political expediency and self-enrichment rather than rationality. This has left our economy rudderless.
- The government policies have been anti-poor, unable to spur job creation or ignite innovation while at the same time entrenching monopolies.
- Additionally, the link between policy and implementation is non-existing, resulting in an inefficient allocation of resources and inadequate outcomes.
The Rise of Lawlessness
- South Africa has one of the highest levels of crime in the world. Law-abiding citizens live in fear while criminals operate with impunity.
- Increasing economic inequality, a lack of opportunity, poor service delivery and corruption are all contributing to a growing feeling of hopelessness and the deterioration of the rule of law in South Africa.
- The feeling of hopelessness have given rise to drug and liquor abuse in our communities, which leads to increasing levels of gangsterism, gender-based violence, theft and murder.
- South African courts are overburdened, and correctional services fail to rehabilitate criminals that have been sent to prison. The resulting rise in lawlessness, crime and violence undermine our social stability and economic potential.
- Our security forces, from the department of home affairs to the state security agency, have abdicated their roles in keeping our people safe, leading to a borderless nation where our own public servants ignore our laws and communities take the rule of law into their own hands.
- Greed and corruption in the state and private sector are amongst the greatest obstacles to overcoming the legacy of our past. Combined with rising crime, it is damaging our nation’s international reputation and eroding business confidence.