POLITICAL NEWS - It has been another year in which South Africa’s political and economic weakness has stuck out like a too-high nail, our leaders struggling to hammer it down as we, and the world, observe. As the year unfolded, early optimism and admiration of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s New Dawn turned into knowing sighs and acceptance of the truth – there is no noteworthy change.

As we head into a crucial election year, the dreadful reality is that the political parties who will be contending for our votes are found to be lacking and have exposed themselves as a bickering lot trying to outdo each other with their indignities.

There is a cacophony within the ruling ANC in dealing with the after-effects of the Zuma administration. It has now been established beyond any doubt (at least to me) that amid it all, government has become the biggest victim. By that I mean its central feature – the ability to make collective decisions and enforce them – has been suspended in order to deal with internal clashes. There have been fallouts since the Nasrec congress, a realignment and reconfiguring of power while allegiances are ever-changing.

On the other hand, as we have seen, opposition parties are not impervious. The DA is facing its own power struggle in the face of a leadership that (a) is no longer able to hold in check the ambitions of those who want to reclaim their party, and (b) cannot endure the dilution by those who intend to make it a more diverse party. Worse still, public statements made by some of its senior leaders characterised this year as a PR nightmare for the party.

Crusader against corruption

However, the EFF is experiencing far worse publicity. It fashions itself as a crusader against corruption, but allegations of corrupt dealings could lead to the party’s demise. The EFF’s problems are many. It needs to understand that populist inclination can only get it so far and that, in time, its success will depend on how long the audience can stay captivated by its rhetoric and ideological beliefs. One foot wrong – one word, one action – and the spell will break. 

Taking the selfish emptiness and inadequacy of some of our politicians into consideration, it is the further exposure of their countless misdeeds that should enable you to carefully consider who to vote for; who to choose to govern us.

You might exclaim ‘Why bother to vote!’ since South Africa’s leaders are thoroughly accustomed to getting away with zero penalties for actions that have a damaging impact on society and the economy. May I remind you that however amoral politicians may be, they are and always will be part of our daily lives through their actions, decisions and indecision. This is an inescapable fact.

We have an obligation to participate in our democracy, to keep politicians answerable, and to ensure that they operate within a framework of checks and confines that ensures that government authority is not abused.  

Next year, go out to vote and remind politicians that power can be given and taken from them if it’s not used for the greater good – a united, growing South Africa.

On the labour market

South Africa’s economy has had another difficult year, with the recession and exposure to risk of being an emerging market in an unpredictable world economy. This has been exacerbated by ingrained joblessness and indecision by those in power on key concerns; an inability to agree and decide on what kind of future South Africa they want. In short, a government held at bay by party politics where very little gets done to solve inequality, poverty and unemployment.

The collapse of the economy has resulted in three sequential quarters where GDP has dropped. For the average worker and the poor, it means the economy has not worked well for them and is in fact dooming their current circumstances. The middle class has also been affected, most are in debt and unable to service it.

Alarmingly, the country’s labour market trends show an increase in the working age population – from 34.2 million in 2012 to 37.3 million in 2017. Add the extended period of low job creation and high unemployment, and a distinct image of how difficult a task it will be to inject life into the economy emerges. There is also the precarious situation of young people who remain vulnerable in the labour market. They are faced with high unemployment rates and low absorption and participation rates relative to adults.

If this year is a precursor of what is to come, then, without a doubt, any future crisis in our economy and therefore society will be political in origin. The politicians have demonstrated this year that they are not able to resuscitate the economy or move forward beyond their rhetoric and party differences.

I hope their actions in 2019 prove the above statement wrong. For the sake of our progeny, I hope.

* Stats SA’s Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa report, 2017