South Africa sliding from bad to worse: The ‘new dawn’ is stolen

No mistake: things in South Africa are sliding from bad to worse.

Successive administrations have struck like an unexpected tsunami. But, unlike a tsunami, they keep hitting the country and its people as hard as they can.

If people thought the country was deteriorating under the Zuma administration, matters have declined, rapidly and substantially, under the current administration.

We are in a state of national collapse as communities slide deeper into social, economic, and political disintegration.

Crime has become a way of life, and the criminals are not the only participants, as their interests coincide with some of those we have voted for.

Our inner cities have become crime-infested trash heaps. Litter is everywhere, streetlights and traffic lights seldom work, our roads are pothole-filled, our water quality is deteriorating by the day.

Uncollected rubbish breeds who-knows-what and our power supply is dwindling by the day.

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When trying to hold the current administration to account, the excuses remain the same: apartheid, Covid, white monopoly capital, political opposition, and so on. These excuses no longer have any validity, especially after 27 years of rule.

Regardless of who one talks to – black, white or whoever–the sentiment remains the same: We are overseen by a corrupt, dysfunctional and colossal failure of an administration, where “leadership” is a soundbite, and “work” is a swearword.

The impact has been catastrophic. While we wait in darkness for the “new dawn” to arrive, it is apparent that the new dawn was merely another clever marketing tool to get votes and international support. By now it is very clear there is no dawn, as it too has probably been stolen.

But we voted for failure. We wanted candles instead of electricity. We wanted failure instead of progress. Daily, we are faced with more unemployment, more poverty, more corruption, more inequality, bankruptcies and more of
nothing.

We believed the lies and deceptions offered us by geriatric tsotsis dressed in designer clothes and we voted for a worse life for all.

They are making sure we get what we voted for – and go from bad to worse.

The example our political leaders set is that of undisciplined and ineffectual leadership. They have neither the effort, nor the energy, to be disciplined and effective leaders.

They are unable to redirect their thoughts from corruption and enrichment to positive actions and thoughts. Their choice is to remain in a position of entitlement for as long as possible to enrich themselves.

The government cannot continually blame “old power stations” for our failed national energy provider. Was it not possible to build new plants over the past 27 years? Or is this actually a battle for the supply of electricity by those who hold interests in such plants, be it nuclear or solar?

The local elections proved that the government has crossed its own Rubicon. Its continual efforts to propagate leftist populism, flavoured with elements of communism, has lost its impact with voters, who have had enough.

People are enraged and protest and riot on a daily basis due to a lack of even basic services. Our only hope of success and survival will be dependent on the voters.

The government’s unrealistic pledge to voters regarding land was tested in parliament, where it failed. The policy of expropriation without compensation is merely proof of how this administration has hiked itself into the
wilderness.

The government has refused to take steps to remove investment obstacles and encourage economic growth while reducing unauthorized spending and embezzlement.

Whereas this will reduce unemployment, inequality and poverty, it is not something this administration considers important. Even the IMF has voiced its concern at how our economy is being eroded.

The impact the faltering economic trajectory has taken us on is catastrophic but not unexpected.

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While the international community laughs at us and walks away to more important countries, it is obvious they have
come to view us as a dangerous place to do business and where they will, in all probability, lose any investment they make.

They have also come to realise that they cannot do business with an administration that rejects accountability.

Added to this is our very low productivity and oftentimes vandalism of their investment infrastructures. The government’s excuses have worn thin.

The youth, many having been schooled beyond our borders, have been sidelined and ignored as the geriatrics exercise every effort to cling to their positions and perks.

It is, however, the younger generation that will produce tomorrow’s leaders, regardless of colour or creed.

They have no interest in petty populism. They want to regenerate the economy for the benefit of all South Africans, not only for a selected few.

• Mashaba is a political advisor.