ANC ‘gimme’ on steroids

It’s a sad sight to see our president standing before the British parliament and demanding money from the rich West (“Ramaphosa defends UK visit amid power crisis”, November 24).

This is redistribution on steroids — an attempt to export the ANC’s obsession with redistribution, aka BEE. Whatever happened to bringing in investment and encouraging local investment?

The tragic answer is that these are deterred by the ANC’s empowerment tentacles barring the way. In fact, these “gimme” tentacles have now escaped the preserve of government and have insinuated themselves into organised crime.

The mining and construction sectors, among others, are being suffocated by these proliferating tentacles, with “business associations” demanding 3% of projects’ budgets. Instead of dealing with these demands at home, and so unleashing the economy, the president is trying his luck overseas.

This reflects a static mindset: grab what you can while you can. What SA desperately needs is a dynamic mindset: focus on what can be. We need makers, not takers.

Our governing party needs to realise that its ideology is out by 180°. It’s not easy. It will take courage. But it’s the only way.

Willem Cronje Cape Town