BOKAMOSO
The ANC shows once again it has no idea how to create jobs
The part of my job I love the most is meeting hundreds and thousands of South Africans on my travels across the length and breadth of the country. Talking with voters in their homes and communities gives me a far better insight into what is really happening in South Africa, beyond what the headlines and statistics tell us. We are told that the economy has just slipped into recession, with a 0,7% contraction, but that we should still grow by around 1% this year. That is what we’re told. But the reality on the ground is plain to see: life is getting much, much harder for everyone. Jobs are even scarcer, many of those who have jobs are at risk of losing them, and groceries, transport, airtime and electricity are all getting much more expensive.
This is the human reality of the economic crisis we face. It is much more important than the statistics.
And the truth is: there is absolutely no good reason for us to be facing this crisis. It is entirely self-inflicted and avoidable.
It is caused by a governing party that is systematically dismantling the ability of the state to deliver to the poor and invest in the economy, for the purpose of funnelling resources to cronies and friends. Let’s not mince our words: the ANC has turned South Africa into a kleptocracy - the “purpose” of the state is theft, and theft on a colossal scale. Before the Gupta email leaks, we had only an inkling of how widespread and deeply entrenched the corruption was. Now we know a lot more - and it is staggering.