Do they care?
By: Marshall Gouts
After 20 years of democracy, has South Africa progressed politically, socially and (most importantly) economically? This is the question I face before voting for the first time. I was born in the historic year of 1994, which saw South Africa go to the polls for its first democratic elections. Given the enormous odds the nation has overcome, you could be labelled ‘foolish’, ‘ignorant’ and even ‘racist’ for even thinking that South Africa was a better place during the dark days of Apartheid… but several indicators suggests that the issue is not that simple.
The reality is that the level of unemployment has risen dramatically since Apartheid. The latest unemployment figures suggests there has been a slight drop in the unemployment rate to 24.1% in the final quarter of 2013. Despite the introduction of the National Development Plan in 2010 that aims to thwart the risk of further spikes in unemployment, our need for economic growth is at an all-time high. Our labour laws are pro-worker, due to our history of discrimination and exploitive labour practices, and in 1995 the new ANC government introduced the Labour Relations act. The downside of this law is that unproductive people continue to keep their jobs as it is difficult to dismiss them while other jobs aren't guaranteed for anybody, even those willing to work hard. Young people who are possibly better equipped for the world of work thus fail to find employment and get despondent.
That brings me to the point of Black Economic Empowerment, an attempt to address the injustices of the past by ‘levelling the play fields’… as they say. The principle is widely understood but the application gets a bit messy. In 2010, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan acknowledged: "BEE policies have not worked and have not made South Africa a fairer or more prosperous country."
How long will Affirmative Action be in place? And what is an index for its success? These are questions that need to be addressed in a public forum with all the necessary role-players: members of both the public and private sector, government officials and various media houses. Ask yourself this: would you rather have a doctor with a higher level of competence and more experience to work on your loved one or a doctor chosen on skin colour?
With less than two months to elections, parties have furiously begun campaigning by announcing manifestos and calling the masses to political rallies. What actually happens in this process is that politicians make a whole lot of gripping promises mixed with a couple of statistics that support their arguments. An indirect jab is often taken at the opposition, much to the amusement of loyal supporters… many of whom are sponsored to turn up at gatherings, given party colours to wear and told to sing and dance like never before. Some supporters are 'bought' over with goods, which vary from perishables like food to refreshments… and by that I mean alcohol!
To be fair: not all supporters come intoxicated (with booze or with promises of largesse from the party) in taxis filled with similarly unemployed people… but many do. You would be forgiven for thinking that the above statement is an exaggerated form of ‘campaigning’, but it isn't. I experienced this in the heart of Cape Town and this is the political turmoil we as citizens face. Ironically, in our democracy, the electorate growls a growing lack of faith in government officials, but would rather pay them lip-service than vote and attempt to make a difference.
Those who believe in the need to address the injustices of the past before working towards a better
future are frankly absurd. It is impossible to fully redress the effects of Apartheid. The legacy of
institutionalised racism in South Africa continues to exist, but a lot more subtly. Even today, race
is used by political parties as a means of attracting voters. Race is evident in campaigning and
political slurs between politicians and even media practitioners in a race-sensitive country like ours get
immediate traction in the Press.
So for whom does one vote? Let your skin colour not determine where your loyalty lies. Be critical
of promises made. An analysis of your environment and who governs it is critical. An example I came
across was gang violence in the area in which I reside. Rumour was that there was a ‘third force’
behind the local deadly eruptions… allegedly as an attempt to make the province ‘ungovernable’
in order to discredit those in power. Even if this rumour was fabricated, it got me thinking: Would
they stoop that low? Would they compromise the safety of citizens in service of a political party? The thought disgusts me and makes me want to steer away from politics altogether.
I walk around and see posters put up by various political parties. A common trend amongst most of them is the use of the word 'us'… suggesting the need, or rather the ‘want’, to unite citizens. This will to unite is contradicted when political leaders are at loggerheads with each other in order to gain political advantages. There may be more pressing concerns in a South African context, but you will never see two opposing political leaders come together for the greater good of the people. Instead, they would rather highlight each other’s faults.
This brings me my final point: the much-contested ‘Secrecy Bill’. The bill was passed by the National Assembly but wasn’t signed by President Jacob Zuma, who sent it back to the National Assembly for reconsideration (to many people’s surprise).
The Secrecy Bill forbids the media from accessing certain information deemed relevant to ‘State Security’. With all the reports of corruption and mismanagement within our government, the public would be forgiven for believing that the bill is part of a ‘conspiracy’ to cover up malfeasance. This bill is reminiscent of the Nationalist’s attempts during the dark days of Apartheid to impose restrictions and censorship on the media out of fear of being exposed.
