Looking Towards a Brighter South Africa

by Ziyanda Stuurman

It is a widely shared opinion that the 1994 and these past April 2009 elections were the most important in South Africa’s history both as a nation and a fledging democracy. It is true that both represent a pivotal turning point for South African society at large. Our country is currently dealing with a gambit of issues which the current ANC government has vowed to individually address and conclusively put to rest. President Jacob Zuma himself acknowledges that there is much work to be done when he says: “millions of South African voters made us, the ANC, their public representatives, the custodians of their hopes and dreams. The next five years will depend on us as public representatives to serve them with dignity and respect. The South African people have high expectations and we as the Executive will do our best to be more hands-on, more accessible and to deliver on our commitments”.

Very much like Barack Obama, our president has inherited a country desperately in need of a new plan-of-action. If we as the South African people, ever want to reach our full potential: (1) the poorest of our poor must be engaged in programmes aimed to alleviate and forever erase poverty and hunger; (2) a fair distribution of access to education and job opportunities must become a reality for all of our people; (3) the scourge of crime must be banished from our society in the same way that Apartheid was; (4) the urban reality of HIV/AIDS must be adequately dealt with; and the ideal of an integrated Rainbow Nation, in every sense of the word, must be harder fought for. The obstacles at hand might be different to those that faced our government after 1994 but the same vision, focus, commitment and caliber of leadership is needed.

The ANC’s 2009 election manifesto is viewed by many as the framework and guidelines the government, national ministries and local authorities will use to achieve the goals set out by the party over the next 5 years. In essence, the appointment of a new Cabinet and indeed a new approach to the duties and responsibilities of the ministries has meant that (1) much more will be done to increase the capacity of officials in the primary and tertiary education sectors; (2) a renewed and intensified focus will be placed on Rural Development initiatives to improve the standard of living for the roughly 30% of South Africans living in the rural areas; (3) the approach to the problem of inadequate housing will be a more holistic one which will increase not only the number of houses given to the people but also meaningfully improving their quality of life; (4) and finally, a renewed dedication to the fight against HIV/AIDS will be undertaken in a united effort by all government officials, health workers and members of civil society.

The specifics of the ANC’s election manifesto highlight a rejuvenation of the over-arching ANC vision of “a better life for all”. In essence, plans already taking shape will mean that: (1) over the next three years, a projected R787 billion will be invested in the infrastructure needed for future growth and development, (2) there will be a marked acceleration of the Expanded Public Works Programme, in an effort to mitigate job losses and accelerate skills development, (3) our social assistance programmes will reach over 13 million people; and public expenditure on education and health care will increase strongly. The term ‘shovel ready’ has sometimes been used to distinguish projects that are ready for implementation from those that have still to be planned, designed and contracted. South Africans are fortunate in that so much of our spending programme is not just “shovel ready”, but is “already shovelling”. This is reflected in everything from the expansion of a nationwide rollout of anti-retroviral drugs for those infected with HIV/AIDS, to increased funding being made available to young South Africans wanting to enroll in our universities, to support initiatives being put into place focusing specifically on nurturing a new breed of successful commercial farmers.

Central in these plans are the exciting possibilities and opportunities the nation has before it. The success of the recent IPL and Confederations Cup tournaments has proven that we are more than ready for the challenges and benefits of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. It is expected that our economic growth figures will be boosted considerably by these initiatives in the short term and will help to create sustainable employment opportunities in the long run. Our economy has bolstered the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to 17th largest in the world, whilst our sound banking sector practices and regulations have helped South Africa weather the storm of the global recession: it is worth noting that not a single one of our banks has failed or has faced the threat of liquidation over the past 18 months. Furthermore, our economy has helped to solidify our position as a country that “punches well above its weight” in terms of leadership in the continent on socio-economic issues in many of the world’s most influential multilateral organisations including the UN’s General Assembly, the Security Council and the African Union. As you can see, South Africa truly is alive with possibility!

And now that I have come to the end of this presentation, I felt I must in fact start at the beginning. In the words of former President Thabo Mbeki, I would like to speak on everyone’s behalf and say: “I am an African. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land. At times, and in fear, I have wondered whether I should concede equal citizenship of our country to the leopard and the lion, the elephant and the springbok, the hyena, the black mamba and the pestilential mosquito. A human presence among all these, a feature on the face of our native land thus defined, I know that none dare challenge me when I say - I am an African! I am also able to state the fundamental truth that I am born of a people who are heroes and heroines. I am born of a people who would not tolerate oppression. I am of a nation that would not allow that fear of death, torture, imprisonment, exile or persecution should result in the perpetuation of injustice. The constitution whose adoption we celebrate constitutes an unequivocal statement that we refuse to accept that our Africanness shall be defined by our race, colour, gender or historical origins. It is a firm assertion made by ourselves that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white. Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now! Whatever the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace! However improbable it may sound to the sceptics, Africa will prosper! Whoever we may be, whatever our immediate interest, however much we carry baggage from our past, however much we have been caught by the fashion of cynicism and loss of faith in the capacity of the people, let us err today and say - nothing can stop us now!”

Today it feels good to be an African.