Steady SA economic growth needed
THE resolution adopted by parliament that provision must be made for expropriation of land without compensation in a manner that does not negatively affect the economy or food production has precipitated an inordinate volume of discussion and discourse in the public media.
Although the unequal distribution of land and the failure of our democratic dispensation to address this matter is disturbing, it is not the only aspect of inequality in South Africa.
There are many others that are equally disconcerting and those relating to land, although important, should not result in us neglecting to consider other aspects of inequality, and thereby to understand and tackle the problem holistically.
South Africa is one of the most, if not the most, unequal societies in the world and most informed commentators would agree that there has been insufficient progress in this regard since the inception of democratic government.
In many respects significant progress has been made, in our political development, in relation to, inter alia, housing, electrification and water supply to poor and rural communities, social welfare and about 17 million grants, health and human rights.
Despite all of this, we remain a very economically unequal society.
Failure to address inequality holistically renders our constitutional and political system unstable, and indeed has the potential to destroy our system of democratic government in a violent and revolutionary manner.
Furthermore, the inequality that exists is not merely between whites and blacks, it is more complicated than that.
It is an inequality between a multiracial middle class and a poor class of essentially African persons who live in great poverty, are poorly skilled and educated, and eke out a mere existence.
As pointed out by Karabo Mashugane in a recent article, this startling inequality has not been significantly reduced, despite about 15 years having followed the inception of B-BBEE legislation.
To be absolutely blunt, the nearly 10 years of the Jacob Zuma presidency and administration have, because of its essentially corrupt and incompetent nature, exacerbated economic inequality in South Africa.
The resolution by parliament and the ANC December conference of expropriation of land or property without compensation, together with so-called radical economic transformation, whatever the latter may mean, will not instantaneously resolve our problems of economic inequality.
The only realistic and feasible solution to the serious problem of gross economic inequality for the Cyril Ramaphosa administration is that explained by Ray Hartley, in his insightful biography of our new president entitled The Man Who Would Be King, that Ramaphosa must find a way to bring growth back to the South African economy.
It is manifestly clear that Ramaphosa states, as pointed out by Hartley: “We will not tempt our people into thinking that complex, intractable problems can easily be solved through words that sound revolutionary but are little more than wishful thinking”.
Ramaphosa is, however, a sagacious and skilful politician, realising, as Hartley points out, he, as president, is walking a tightrope that requires that it is politically necessary and expedient to “use the language of the radical left like radical economic transformation and expropriation of land without compensation, but in such a way by proposing and initiating a vision of a strong and growth-driven economy”.
Ramaphosa has the skill and experience to do this, having been in his career a powerful trade unionist, political negotiator and a successful businessman.
A meaningful growth-driven economy is the only realistic option for the multiple problems we as a nation face in relation to economic inequality, and the poverty and social injustice that still prevails.
It is also essential to retain and further develop our constitutional democracy, and the freedom and human dignity it has brought as a nation.
George Devenish, emeritus professor at UKZN