If I was SA’s finance minister…
THE GUPTAS should convert South Africa Inc into a subsidiary of Gupta Inc and offer me the post of financial manager.
I will do much better than Pravin Gordhan who is hobbled by ANC communist logic and socialist economics.
I will ensure a growth rate of 8 percent per annum over the next 20 years by: Privatising all the state-owned enterprises. Liberalising our labour laws. Firing all the incompetent, invisible, permanently sick and ghost cadres in government and thereby reducing the public sector wage bill. Jacking up our infrastructure. Allowing foreigners to buy and own land. Signalling to investors that their investments will be safe.
Stopping the mad land-redistribution programme and the destruction of our agricultural industry to ensure food security.
Stopping the mad nuclear-build programme and rather implement a renewable solar energy programme.
Stopping the mad National Health Insurance scheme and rather ensure that existing hospitals and clinics are better equipped and resourced (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it).
Being tough on criminals and ensuring that they are caught and serve long sentences.
Scrapping the quota system and ensuring we have responsible affirmative action and a professional public service.
Increasing the penalties for corruption, etc. I will also replace the culture of patronage, entitlement, transformation, redistribution, corruption, bribes, quotas, strikes, burning and extortion with that of merit, hard work, training, skills, co-operation, patience, enterprise, distribution, competition, savings and investment.
This programme of mine will ensure we reduce unemployment by half, that we increase real wages by 100 percent and that we have enough money to pay for free tertiary education.
And don’t forget the dividends the Guptas will be earning from their subsidiary, South Africa Inc, which will be much higher through a growing economy.
This will be more profitable than their various stakes they have with Duduzane Zuma in the various coal and uranium mines and them having to wait for years for the nuclear build to come on stream.
I thus appeal to the Guptas over the heads of the ANC: Isn’t it better for them that they have a slice of an expanding pie like they have in Singapore, rather than a slice of an ever-shrinking pie like they have in Zimbabwe?