’21 questions’ for President Cyril Ramaphosa

If I had an opportunity to meet and have a discussion with President Cyril Ramaphosa, I would say: This country is on the brink of complete economic collapse.

The unemployment levels are at catastrophic levels. The youth are, in their majority, unemployed. Some are qualified but without skills. Some have neither skills, nor qualifications.

‘Emergency State Of the Nation’

That’s the Emergency State Of the Nation. This presents a great opportunity for this government to start thinking out of the box and discard this mentality of an extractive economy.

We have to think about a productive economy. If ever we needed any creative, innovative and productive thinking, we desperately need that right now!

There are many things we can think of doing ourselves now, but I will save that for another day. Right now we have to think productive skills and more skills for our youth, and indeed the revival of our economy as a whole.

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Lack of skills development

Let’s look at the so-called RDP houses for instance. Can you, Mr President, honestly tell me why we are unable to produce out of our youth, builders, plumbers, painters, tilers, carpenters electrical technicians and many other skills required in the built environment?

Can you truly tell me why we cannot find manufacturers of building materials in the townships? If we can find them, your “engineers” will be telling your about their “poor quality and workmanship”.

Did you ask why? Let me tell you: it is because they cannot afford the machines to produce the required quality the industry needs.

Has anyone tried to look at what impact they will have in the delivery of housing if the state can stand surety for the machinery they require and their capacity to repay their loans once they are guaranteed the supply of materials to the state’s housing projects and that they will be paid promptly?

Just think about it… Mr President, the type of economic advisors you have in your office will not say these things to you.

It may not be because they don’t want to. It is because they most probably haven’t got the actual work experience.

They are professors and academics who have written extensively about economics but may not have operated a factory, employed anyone, never, personally, experienced any worker confrontation or haven’t earned a wage.

‘System does not connect with people’

Perhaps you urgently need to mix with people who have work experience. I heard your minister of higher education saying this year he wants to produce artisans. Mr President, you don’t produce an artisan in a college that doesn’t have artisans to produce artisans.

You don’t produce a motor mechanic in a college that doesn’t have a workshop and cars to be trained with.

If I may ask, by whom and where does government get its cars fixed, maintained, serviced and panel beaten?

You probably don’t know and, probably, neither does your minister of higher education. The reason people hijack houses built by the government is precisely that.

They are built by government and not the people themselves. Your economic system does not connect with the people.

It is disconnected from the people; it repels people. It is an economic system that is anchored on the principle of handouts.

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It is the type that creates dependency, rather than self-reliance, self-sufficiency and independence. But the reason isn’t hard to find and understand.

When people or society is completely dependent on the system, the system can do what it wants with them any time it deems fit.

The people are beholden to their government. And that is the idea leaders, who are not interested in developing their countries, will promote vigorously and without fail, because it keeps them in power while it keeps their followers oblivious. Just thinking while it is still legal…

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-Monama is an independent commentator and a former Azapo leader.