Planning beyond the plan:

How an inept government follies one policy plan after another

‘We all assist the institutions we have creatively redesigned to meet our varied needs; we reach out across communities to strengthen our resolve to live with honesty, to be set against corruption and de-humanising actions’.

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These words are inscribed in the policy document that expressly outlines the National development plan (NDP) that is supposed to finally extricate us from this mind numbing poverty in which we as a country find ourselves. What it doesn’t go on to say dear reader is that currently underway are concerted efforts to rob this nation’s citizens blind and render them subservient secondary citizens who have to resort to become suit-clad beggars whose only way out is to serve nefarious ends that further directives issued out at Luthuli house.

The honourable deputy President-The term ‘Honourable’ is just for emphasis purposes and by no means reflect the recent conduct of Mr Ramaphosa, speaks of a nations of pessimists and complainers. Well, forgive me Mr Ramaphosa but did it ever cross your mind that we too have reached the point of ad-nauseam when it comes to pointing out the seemingly intentional petty fogging and downright dishonourable conduct if the government. I, like many South Africans, would actually love to believe and get behind the goal to eradicate the rife indigence and equality we face by 2030. The problem, however, is that when one inspects and the government’s track record and its current counter-productive behaviour I can’t help but view the implementation of the NDP with disdain at best.

Indeed one does not even need to dig deep in order to see how ill-timed and inept implementation of very progressive and good policy plans rendered them ineffective and a whole sale waste of time resources, and manpower.

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The ‘strong export’ performance, private sector employment creation, small business promotion, etc that was sought through the Growth, Employment and Redistribution Macroeconomic strategy (GEAR) has not only not been achieved, but there has instead been regress. This is not because of it’s the strategic inefficiencies but because of lacklustre implementation and sometimes deliberate corruption of the provisions of the plan coupled with no tangible recourse and accountability.

I Think I speak for most South Africans (I would’ve said ‘every’ but I can’t be sure of the sentiments those South Africans in cabinet) when I say the potential this country has long been said to be abundant with needs to manifest itself to palpable progress that can only be measured through an increase in the quality of life of every South African and not just those who happen to have an ANC membership card and are on first name basis with this or that influential leader or office bearer.

The ‘direct and immediate measures to attack poverty’ that are spoken of in the NDP; which are to be demonstrated through the ‘introduction of active labour market policies and incentives to grow employment, particularly for young people and in sectors employing relatively low-skilled people’ by the way were held with just esteem and supposed intent by the drafters of the Reconstruction and development plan (RDP).

The very same ‘incentives to grow employment for the youth’ were shut down violently, I might add, by the very same COSATU that is in alliance with the ruling party which is in government. No viable alternatives were put forward but mere repetitive, uninformed and self-interested arguments spewed from 110 Jorrison street.

 I dare say that the tired observation that youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb has been with us since the so-called born-frees where running around bare-chested in the bliss of their pre-pubescence. I’ve yet to hear of our ‘leader’ coming up with concrete and urgent solutions.

When the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA) promulgated ‘a vision of a development path that is vigorous and an inclusive economy where products and services are diverse. More value is added to our products and services, costs of production and distribution are reduced, labour is readily absorbed into sustainable employment, and new business proliferating and expanding’, few of us would have imagine that 11 years on the actual opposite would instead be achieved.

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Through all of this confusion, misdirection and unwillingness of bureaucrats, the hapless youth of today will be the ones that will be left behind to salvage, if possible, this mess that is being purposefully created by leadership that is out of depths and even worse, one that refuses to realise that the fate of this country is for us all to bear.

The messianic comrades in the ANC bask in the spoils of the new South Africa while the masses scrounge around for any semblance of dignity and a proper livelihood. They even have the audacity to utter idiocy about them ruling until the proverbial second coming.

Someone please give a tender to someone whose going to pay someone else to tell the ANC that these are the exact sentiments held by Louis XVI,  Tsar Nicholas II, Former Tunisian President Ben Ali and countless other rulers and leaders, right before their egos and in many instances, lives, ended in smoldering heaps.

So in summation dear reader, I refute the deputy president’s claims and in contrast point him to the slew of tangible disappointments that South Africans have been subjected to. All at the hands of a supercilious government that refuses to take us and itself seriously.