The Springbok formula works, not BEE

Racist Economic Freedom Fighters spoilsports are rightly pilloried for their response to the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup victory, but there is a sense in which they are correct.

Some of us are overdoing the euphoria. Yes, we celebrate the unifying energy generated by our diverse heroes, who deserve hearty accolades. The way they pulled together to overcome challenges is inspirational.

The racial mix of their success is an affront to extremists, black and white, who seek to divide us. For the majority, who want to overcome apartheid’s legacy, the most powerful symbolism revolves around Siya Kolisi leading a multihued team. It is fitting that his personal life also crosses racial barriers.

The EFF Twitter army is out of sync with the national mood. Yet, the hype is too much when folks seem to imagine that hoisting the William Webb Ellis Cup will somehow resolve the nation’s problems. It certainly gives us hope, encouraging us to tackle obstacles. But let’s not go overboard.

Sport can be uplifting, yet it won’t on its own pick up the rand (à la Nomvula Mokonyane), boost economic growth or create jobs.

We should guard against being duped. Ancient Roman poet Juvenal cautioned against the use of “bread and circuses” to divert attention from shortcomings.

In doing so, he criticised not only ruling elites, but also the selfishness of common people, who turned a blind eye as long as their base appetites were sated. He regarded such appeasement as superficial. Let us not be shallow – saying South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, nothing else matters; so don’t be negative.

A day before the rugby final, Moody’s, the only major ratings agency that hasn’t yet downgraded South Africa to junk status, changed SA’s debt outlook from stable to negative. This was no reprieve. It was the next logical downward step.

Earlier, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni painted a bleak picture in his medium-term budget policy statement. The nation is deep in debt, with no clear recovery plan.

Shortly before Mboweni’s dampener, South Africa’s unemployment rate reached 29.1%. None of these facts is changed by lifting the Rugby World Cup.

Here’s the key. The Springbok squad was not based on affirmative action quotas. The guys are simply the best.

If that lesson can be applied to the economy, SA will become a winning nation, not only on sports fields. SA should scrap race quotas for jobs, tenders and any kind of procurement.

The whole panoply of black economic empowerment-related legislation is an impediment to economic growth. A winning rugby team cannot carry passengers. Similarly, all must pull their weight in a successful economy.

Just as a rising tide lifts all boats, poverty and inequality can be overcome only through economic growth, where jobs are created and skills developed.

Hosting another investment conference, as President Cyril Ramaphosa is doing today, is like aimlessly kicking for touch, rather than running with the ball.

If boosting economic growth is the tryline, the 22-metre mark is scrapping BEE, and five metres is trimming the bloated public sector wage bill. Trade unions and BEE appointees are the opposing team.

Ramaphosa and Mboweni must get past them to clinch victory.

Martin Williams, DA councillor and former editor of The Citizen.

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