A friend of mine (who is also a member of parliament) recently mentioned to me that many government departments have essentially been moribund for at least a decade.
He says the private sector is the only reason why this country is still functioning in many respects. According to him, the good news is that there is still abundant, yet underutilised, human capacity left in the public sector on which to build.
And why would anybody doubt his claims? The ANC had such a lengthy, corrupt and intense stranglehold on the State and bureaucracy that it really comes as no surprise. Media reports, independent research, the public’s daily experiences and anecdotal evidence have repeatedly borne this out.
What would this country look and be like if not for private industry, private schools, private hospitals and privately owned farms? And seeing as the government’s fiscal position and general capacity leave little room for further investments and development, what other choices are left but to increasingly involve the private sector in saving the country? South Africa didn’t get into this mess by coincidence, but by design.
However, this is ostensibly changing – albeit slowly and selectively in the form of utterances – but hopefully it is more than just mere rhetoric. Once anathema to any ANC cadre, there seems to be some talk about the virtues and value of the private sector these days – even from inveterate commies.
According to BusinessLive, Gwede Mantashe, mineral & petroleum resources, recently said private investors are sought to develop the mothballed Sapref refinery, which the government bought for R1 in May. If leveraged to its full potential, Sapref could be responsible for 35% (or some 180 000 barrels per day) of the country’s refining capacity.