The point of departure for the 2018/19 Appropriation Bill is purely short-term political survival for the ANC.
None of the departments’ allocations really address the problems in South Africa. During the Budget Vote Debates of the past few weeks, the ANC repeatedly used the narrative that the problems South Africa is experiencing today were caused by Apartheid. Clearly, the ANC deems its ideological loyalties more important than progress.
One simply cannot keep pointing a finger at the past for the poverty and deterioration in South Africa today.
The Appropriation Bill typifies the country’s problems as it is merely aimed at ensuring short-term political gain for the ANC government at the cost of the 13,8 million people who are living under the breadline.
Provision is made for social grants, but nothing is done to create an environment that is conducive to economic growth. When the government does budget for sensible projects, nothing comes of it seeing as the government is unable to carry out its own plans.
Earlier this week, the Auditor-General (AG) said that local governments are in trouble and that the matter, along with the issue of deteriorating infrastructure, needs urgent attention. If our infrastructure fails, no plan will be able to stimulate the economy.
State-owned entities are not sustainable. An example is the proposed consolidation of SAA, SA Express and Mango that is aimed at solving the problems there. It will, however, just make things worse. Public enterprises are falling apart and must be privatised. There is simply no other way.
The government opposes this solution because its ideological needs are being fed by a misplaced loyalty to a system that failed around the world. South Africa needs a competitive private sector and not government-controlled black holes that swallow tax payers’ hard-earned money.
Government, national and provincial departments as well as municipalities have all failed due to a complete inability to govern. That is why poverty is a problem in our country and yet the past is continually blamed.
This Appropriation Bill will not do much to solve South Africa’s problems.
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