Let’s all play our part in rebuilding brand SA into a great nation
No country is an island that can afford to isolate itself from doing business with the rest of the world
Recent economic developments within and outside our country, including in neighbouring Zimbabwe, have reminded us of a lesson so simple, yet so profound, that in the same vein as no man is an island, no country or nation is an island on its own.
Even countries that are islands in the literal sense open themselves up for interaction with others.
Our country almost paid a heavy price, as we once more had to relearn this age-old adage. Within the context of community or communal living, a popular expression is often sounded, that “Umntu, ngumntu ngabantu”, meaning a person is a person through other people.
Perhaps a reminder that, even for one’s own achievements, someone has had to play a part or even make some form of sacrifice. The concept of a global community further amplifies this. In its simplest form, globalisation is a clear representation of interdependence of and among various countries of the world and interconnectedness of the world markets.
What this presupposes is that the effects of what happens in Zimbabwe will be felt in SA and that when North Korea sneezes, America is likely to catch the cold.
In essence, no country can on its own, without trade, successfully prosper. Any country that seeks to close itself off from the rest of the world only seeks to inflict on its people high levels of marginalisation and suffering.
Never has this been so true as in the case of our country’s experience with rating agencies in the recent past. We may be turning the corner now, but the effects will be felt by South Africans across all walks of life for some time to come.
South Africa has always been a subject of interest the world over. In fact, its reintegration into the rest of the world was as a result of international mobilisation, including sanctions that brought apartheid to its knees.
Recent actions by some among us almost relegated SA into an unenviable status of skunk of the world.
Thanks, however, to progress-loving South Africans, an independent judiciary, an active civil society, a proactive media, it was stopped before it could launch all of us into a dangerous plunge.
In a short space of time, SA has started reaching out to the rest of the world, presenting itself as a reliable ally to do business with.
A lot of movement is taking place both in the public glare and behind the scenes to rebuild brand SA as a nation of ethical men and women, eager to do business transparently with the rest of the world and attract the necessary investments.
Already we can see the world reciprocating. The recent economic growth projections by the International Monetary Fund which revised SA’s economic growth prospects to 1.5 % in 2018 and to 1.7% in 2019 bear this out. It follows hot on the heels of yet another positive forecast by the World Bank.
In these trying times, the all-important moment of reckoning is not peculiar to SA. Having recognised its shortcomings, Zimbabwe is also in the process of reforms and is once again reopening itself to the world.
And to make the point, one of the most glaring measures taken has been to scrap the once contentious indigenisation programme which gave a 51% controlling stake in foreign-owned companies to local Zimbabweans which was said to have been a major impediment to investment.
With all the efforts, let no one be left behind. Let everyone roll up their sleeves, take up their shovels, and make a positive contribution as the country embarks on an exciting yet demanding project to rebuild brand SA. It must not be a responsibility of leadership alone.
As in the words of the scripture in Nehemia 2: 17, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”