ANC unable to take tough decisions

“The Fix Will Be Long and Slow” (Editorials, February 21-27) sums up our predicament: during the years of Nelson Mandela’s presidency and those of Thabo Mbeki, SA seemed headed in the right direction, but the disastrous leadership of Jacob Zuma undid all the promise of that decade. Today, Cyril Ramaphosa’s best efforts are unlikely to make much difference.

The country is in a deep hole, with little hope of recovery.

Despite finance minister Tito Mboweni’s benign budget, SA is on borrowed time.

The economy is struggling, Eskom is on tilt, and the other state-owned enterprises (SOES) continue to bleed the fiscus. With government borrowing R1.2bn a day and footing a civil service wage bill of R600bn, the Treasury has little room to meet budget requirements.

There is growing resentment among the neglected masses, who are now aware of the corruption that has robbed them of an improved life.

The failure of 263 municipalities will add to the gathering storm.

The ANC remains unrealistic; it lacks the moral fibre to take tough decisions, such as cutting the workforce of the SOES, disconnecting illegal electricity users, enforcing debt payments by defaulters and acting against party members involved in malfeasance.

Are we in a race to the end?