INCLUSIVE; JUST IGNORE THE BARRICADE
More companies are taking events into townships in a bid to push ‘inclusive growth’ slogans. But often they end up proving the opposite, by the simple fact that they exclude the poor residents of those areas
Under a white marquee with flashing lights and CEOS dressed to the nines, champagne flowed and schmoozing took place over cocktails and pretentious jokes — it’s a standard formula for business functions.
Except it’s not quite Hyde Park or Sandton but Alexandra, a township a couple of kilometres away. And while the idea was to drive the message of inclusive growth, it was dampened by the high security, the exclusive guest list and the steel barricades.
Inclusive growth or radical economic transformation, depending which term you prefer, is meant to bridge the gap between privileged and underprivileged. But with exclusive barricaded events in the heart of townships, poverty chic is becoming the new norm for companies wanting to bolster an inclusive tagline.
Alex and Sandton provide an example of one of SA’S starkest divides of wealth. A 10minute drive across the N1 will take you from Africa’s richest square mile — where the big names conduct business and where lunch breaks are spent at Tasha’s and strolling the Diamond Walk, where you can find Louis Vuitton and Gucci — to the depths of apartheid planning.
You drive to the venue along shack-lined streets. A wrong turn and you’re surrounded by the flurry of the township. There’s a distinct vibe but the levels of poverty and inequality are abundantly clear. It’s reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy turns to her dog and states the obvious: “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”
It’s a gap that’s supposed to be bridged by the City of Joburg’s Corridors of Freedom project. Speaking at his state of the city address in 2014, then mayor Parks Tau said: “Through the Corridors of Freedom, we have initiated bold steps towards a comprehensive transformation of our spatial destiny and a break from our apartheid past of spatial, social and racial segregation; a past premised on prejudice and division.”
The completion of that vision is a long way off. But events such as this one boast intentions of making the Corridors of Freedom project a reality by bringing Sandton to Alex.
The event, organised by ASI Financial Services, is an example of a trend many businesses are following. As inclusive growth becomes the tagline of the day, it’s becoming popular for business and government alike to take events to the townships — quietly failing to mention that people from those areas are simply not invited.
Pointing to the kids in the mall, ASI Financial Services CEO Anthony Govender said: “Look at the second generation. They’re around us, shopping, playing soccer. And they have spent the past five days cleaning up Alex for your arrival.”
It was a let-them-eat-cake moment — severely detached from the reality of people who live in Alex and a reminder that the recent poverty report showed that one out of every two — or 53.2% — of all South Africans was poor.
Journalist Iman Rappetti took an illreceived swipe at the crowd: “And welcome monopoly capital to Alex.”
There was silence.
“It’s a joke, you can laugh,” she added.
But the message hit home. And until the latest SA hit played again over the loudspeakers, the silence was palpable.
Ironically, the platform was set up for former finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to wax lyrical about inclusive growth, and the current favourite phrase for politicians — dividing the pie more evenly so all South Africans have a slice.
To oohs, ahs and thunderous applause, Gordhan said: “How do we account for the fact that the divide between the top 1% (and the rest) has grown? We are one of the bottom two countries as far as the Gini coefficient and inequality is concerned.
“How do you create a more socially just society? How do we eradicate poverty? How does our conscience allow us to tolerate that? What about asset ownership of the poorest in this country? When transformation occurs, who benefits from this?” he asked.
His questions were met with nods of agreement but the answer was clear: the beneficiaries were in this barricaded tent.
The theme — inclusive growth and how to achieve it — missed the mark.
Speaking just before the medium-term budget policy statement, deputy finance minister Sfiso Buthelezi said: “Alexandra is down the road from the richest square mile. It’s just not sustainable, we need to deal with issues of inequality.”
It is rhetoric that government has adopted but as businesses jump on the bandwagon, it’s become more of a trend than a reality.
Behind the barricades, the township of Alex peers in and it’s clear that the distinct divide remains.