KENNETH MOKGATLHE | Let’s replace dependency syndrome with sustainable development

African politicians have given a wrong impression to their electorates since the first wave of independence in the 1960s – that governments would create and maximise employment opportunities for the citizens.

Many politicians in Africa thrive due to lack of voter education, high levels of illiteracy, and a lack of education on governance and democracy. As we wait for the official election date from President Cyril Ramaphosa, it is of paramount importance to remind all those who will be voting that the government exists to create a conducive environment to attract investments, which will in turn employ people and offer business deals to local entrepreneurs.

It is also important to discourage South Africans from deepening their dependence on the state as it is not sustainable at all, it is costly for the government and does not alleviate poverty as it intends to do. We are soon going to hear political formations misleading potential voters who are desperately looking for employment that they intend to create jobs and business opportunities for them.

The truth of the matter is that none of these parties seem to have a tangible, workable plan on how those jobs are going to be created. The only plan that we all can see is to kick out the corrupt and incapable ANC from the Union Buildings. My intuition and instincts inform me that there won’t be much developmental transformation in the communities that desperately want to see change in their lives.

The electorate has been tired of empty promises since 1994, hence the voter apathy in the electoral segments. Many do not see the reason for participating in the elections, but it remains the only democratic tool to employ to remove corrupt politicians in the democratic state institutions.

I was fascinated by Ramaphosa’s honest sentiments during his sixth State of the Nation Address last year when he said: “We all know that the government does not create jobs. Businesses create jobs. About 80% of all the people employed in SA are in the private sector.” Whether you like him or not, Ramaphosa was right when he reminded us that the government does not exist to employ people.

There is no government around the world whose job it is to employ its citizens. However, the government has to make sure that it makes the environment desirable for the country to be an investment destination. When I was covering poor service delivery, bad governance, and corruption in the collapsed municipalities around North West, I realised that there was a common practice where the municipal political principal employed excessive numbers, which stretched the municipality’s payroll too wide, where employees would not be paid due to insufficient funds.

It was clear that municipalities in the North West in particular, and SA in general, did not exist to champion issues of quality service delivery, instead, they were abused as employment agencies of political principals. 

Ramaphosa was wrongly ridiculed for stating that the government is not an employment agency, that is the nature of many South Africans as we are just not ready to listen to the facts. We prefer to be lied to.

With his Black Consciousness history, I thought he would bring back self-help initiatives in the communities where we would be encouraged to pursue community development initiatives where we would draw our monthly income while we contribute to the transformation of the communities, we live in. Our government should help to empower the powerless. That is done through allowing active involvement and participation of everyone in the economy.

Mokgatlhe is a freelance writer and analyst