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TWO stories which appear to be in contrast – but which actually compliment each other – made headlines in South Africa this week.

One was a speech by well-known economist Dawie Roodt who said the hefty salaries being paid to government employees were placing a damper on economic growth and, as a result, hampering job creation.

The true inequality in South Africa, he said, was not between rich and poor but between those who had jobs and those who did not.

The salaries of government officials are roughly double of those of their equals in the private sector.

Roodt, speaking to members of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), said if government employees were paid the same as they were in the private sector, the economy would grow by about 6.3% over the next five years instead of 1.8%.

In stark contrast to this is the news that critical services to thousands of children, the elderly and other vulnerable people in the country are facing collapse as the government no longer has money for them.

According to the report which featured in national newspapers, the future of various non-profit welfare organisations (NPOs) across South Africa is hanging by a thread with some welfare workers withdrawing from child welfare services, rendering areas without any social services.

Some NPOs have also not received their yearly subsidy from the social development department.

Chairman of the National Coalition of Social Services (Nacoss) Marieta Kemp indicated on Wednesday that the situation was ‘critical.”

The belief that South Africa does not have solutions to its problems is a fallacy. The solutions to many, many problems – like service provision, providing affordable education, assisting NPOs which aid the needy, growing the economy and tackling inequality – can be found. What it needs is determined leadership and the ability and guts to make unpopular decisions, like bringing the gravy train to a halt and ending corruption, while insisting on efficient government services.

Instead of using the blame game and inciting violence and hatred, positive solutions are there to be found. We just need to want to do so.