Our problems are surmountable

SOUTH Africa must ensure it can build back the confidence of citizens for the forthcoming national elections.

In the current situation of institutional disappointment and the lack of ability to tackle the country’s structural issues, South Africa should think hard about how to make sure it can tackle them by drawing on the experience of other countries on how to engage young people.

South Africa’s infrastructure crisis links to many complex problems of the different levels of government, particularly the failing and lack of municipal services, SOEs in serious problems, crime, corruption, safety and security issues and the ongoing electricity outages.

The road to achieve this goal of fixing these multiple and intricate challenges is expensive, long and overwhelming but it is doable and achievable.

South African political parties and politicians need to halt all their false promises, empty and hollow talk and initiate appointments and positions based on criteria, competences and qualifications, for the benefit of reforming and professionalising public service at national, provincial and local government departments, the economy and South Africans.

Politicians and relevant stakeholders need to evaluate the work of researchers and their studies, engage professionals from the different fields, and employ policy that talks to facts and credible, relevant evidence to make decisions to improve public administration and governance, government policy on employment, procurement and service delivery.