As we wrap up year 2023, having learned the lessons, and about to start year 2024, now is the time to reflect on the kind of South Africa we want to live in. The reflection is important given that in 2024, we will mark 30 years as a democratic society.
Former President Thabo Mbeki once said that “we need a critical self-assessment of ourselves as Africans”. Now is the time for that self-assessment.
In my book “Lessons from Past Heroes”, published last month in South Africa, I have a chapter titled “South Africa since democracy began”. In that chapter, I reflect on the failures and successes of our democratic society. It’s a relevant chapter on the question of “What kind of a South Africa do we want to live in?”. Also a timely chapter as we will be marking 30 years of our democracy.
We must refrain from adopting a mindset that our national goals can be accomplished through shortcuts, without putting in much effort. Such a mindset will be the end of us. No society of our kind, with its huge challenges can take shortcuts in building sustainable, long-lasting foundations of prosperity.
That we are part of the African continent, the most destitute continent in the world, makes things more challenging. However, such a misfortune must not discourage us from forging ahead in the building of our nation.
It's imperative that we think at a global level given that as a nation state, we operate in the international system that has become hyper-competitive. Nations can only be relevant, in this hyper-competitive world, if they embark on reform that bolsters their economies. It all hinges on the right reform, right policy choices. However, we should remember that such reforms can be hard to adopt and implement in democracies as some interest groups may be opposed to them. That’s the nature of a democratic system of governance – implementing policing can be difficult as policies undergo scrutiny, debate, with various forces pulling in opposite directions.