(Parliamentary debate: The role of national government policy in job creation and poverty alleviation)
As long as the ANC government keeps clinging to its failed ideological policy directions, such as Affirmative Action (AA) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), government will not contribute to job creation and poverty alleviation.
In fact, government is not supposed to be creating jobs, that is the private sector’s job. Government should lay the foundation for economic progress, through policy and good governance, which will facilitate job creation.
Although South Africa has one of the largest economies in Africa, possesses a wealth of natural resources with ample opportunities, human capital and citizens who are able to rise above the worst conditions, South Africa is also one of the countries with the greatest inequality in the world.
A country such as Taiwan, which has virtually no natural resources and imports almost everything it needs, has an unemployment rate of less than 4%. South Africa, with everything at its disposal, pales in comparison with an unemployment rate of 31,9%.
The blame should be placed squarely on the ANC government’s shoulders, as it refuses to abandon, for the sake of the people of South Africa, its obsolete ideologies that result in absurd, ill-considered and economically destructive policies and legislation.
After 30 years, the ANC still has not learnt that government cannot regulate South African society through transformation and diversity, and that it only brings about more division in the country. Merit should be the only measure.
As long as the ANC keeps holding up the racial card and Apartheid when AA and BEE are criticised, South Africa will not make any economic progress.
Policies such as AA and BEE are only used to facilitate cadre deployment and enrich a certain group of ANC cadres. It does not level the economic playing field for the millions of unemployed and impoverished South Africans.
Under ANC rule, the educational system is also failing to provide the skills required by the labour market.
But instead of investing in proper school infrastructure and uplifting struggling schools in rural areas, the ANC chooses to use legislation, such as the BELA Bill, to further undermine the educational system.
Moreover, economic progress will not be possible while the ANC keeps siding with the world’s skunk countries and putting international relations in jeopardy.
It will also not be possible while the ANC consistently keeps wrecking local government through incompetence, fraud and corruption.
Truth be told, it is not possible while the ANC governs the country.
It is time to unseat the ANC as ruling party and replace it with a coalition government that has the best interests of all South Africans at heart.
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