Elections 2024: Same script, same cast… different outcome? Past promises and future hopes

Promises, chants, and hope-arousing manifestos by new and old actors are the order of the season amid ongoing auditions to win the hearts of South Africans – and garner enough votes to secure seats in Parliament. 

Political parties are putting on their best performances and pulling rabbit hat tricks in the build-up to what many anticipate will be a game-changing national election – set to take place on 29 May. 

In the meantime, South Africans are spoiled for choice in a buffet of political meal tickets, marked by the good old promise of a better life for all. 

Amidst the loud and proud political parade are past promises packaged differently to entice new voters and retain loyal ones. 

“Political parties, including the ANC (African National Congress), just continuously repackage the same manifesto promises,” echoed independent economic analyst Prof. Bonke Dumisa.

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Promises of the past

Five years ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa made some key promises to fix and improve the government and economy. 

During his 2019  State of the Nation Address (Sona), Ramaphosa vowed to do the following among others: 

• Accelerate inclusive economic growth and create jobs;
• Improve the education system and develop the skills currently needed and into the future;
• Improve the living conditions of all South Africans, especially the poor
• Ramping up the fight against corruption and state capture;
• Strengthening the capacity of the State to address the needs of the people.

In addition to Ramaphosa’s wishlist, is the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) which is aimed to provide South Africans with free medical services at public and private healthcare facilities. 

The president also vowed to stimulate economic growth, build more businesses and employ more people, with a focus on expanding exports. 

“To improve the competitiveness of our exports, we will complete the studies that have begun on reducing the costs of electricity, trade, communications, transport and other costs,” said Ramaphosa. 

Meanwhile, the country’s embattled ports and railway infrastructure continually make it difficult for the private sector to thrive. 

Nonetheless, Transnet recently announced that it’s forging ahead with the second phase of its recovery plan to restore the embattled State Owned Enterprise (SOE) to its former glory. 

READ MORE: ‘Not out of the woods yet’: Transnet says phase 2 of recovery plan is underway

Same script…same cast?

As the clock ticks for the Sixth Administration, the ruling party returns to the polls, hoping to secure majority seats in parliament and maintain its three-decade reign.

Earlier this year, Ramaphosa unveiled the ruling party’s promises for the 2024 elections.

• Job creation;
• Building industries to achieve an inclusive economy – which includes investing in infrastructure and transforming the financial sector;
• Tackling the high cost of living
• Investing in people – improving service delivery and ensuring health care for all, among other things;
• Defending democracy and advancing freedom- which includes fighting corruption;
• Building a better Africa and World.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa unveils ANC’s six key priorities for 2024 election manifesto

‘I feel sorry for the ANC’

As many South Africans continuously struggle to make ends meet amid record-high inflation and an alarming unemployment rate, some wonder what the current government would do if re-elected.

Can SA expect a different outcome from the same politicians?

Dumisa believes the promise of improved living conditions was a relative concept, adding that placing such expectations on the government signified a common sense of entitlement.

“South Africans expect the government to keep on increasing the social welfare budget without saying where that money will come from,” he told The Citizen.

As far as promises go, Dumisa believes the ruling party may have bitten more than it can chew. 

“I feel sorry for the ANC government in that they must be seen to be fiscally prudent as a government, but must at the same [time] be seen as pro-poor.

“It is under these circumstances that they have come up with some reckless moves like the unsustainable National Health Insurance, NHI, literally for political vote-buying during this national election year 2024.”

When it comes to Ramaphosa’s promise to strengthen the capacity of the state to address the needs of South Africans, Dumisa said there was nothing more the ruling party could do. 

“The major challenge is mostly about the budgetary constraints,” Dumisa noted. 

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‘SA has a structural unemployment challenge’

Meanwhile, the promise of jobs remains the largest worm to bait the electorate into voting political parties into office. 

“Any noises being made on creating jobs will always remain empty promises until we accept that South Africa has a structural unemployment challenge. Our education system produces people without the requisite skills for our economic needs,” Dumisa said.  

“Our entire education system must be completely overhauled to make it produce people who are fit for purpose for our business needs,” he added. 

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‘Kingpin of State Capture’

As the current administration wraps up, many South Africans are reflecting on the achievements made over the last five years, drawing their own subjective conclusions. 

Has the current government delivered on its promises? Economist Dawie Roodt said no. 

“The current government has done even more damage to the South African crumbling infrastructure and institutions. The ANC government especially in the past 15 years, has been a disaster for South Africa,” he told The Citizen.

Undoubtedly, the ghost of state capture will continue to haunt the SA economy for years to come, manifesting itself through the country’s embattled SOEs.

Despite efforts made in the Zondo Commission of Enquiry to finger-point and bring culprits to justice, the cloud of corruption still hovers over.

“It is disappointing that most people who were fingered at the Zondo Commission have not faced any prosecution to date,” said Dumisa.

“Some of them have been so emboldened they are regrouping to go back to political power,” he added.

In what could be construed as a reference to former president Jacob Zuma, Dumisa said:

“The kingpin of the State Capture, who gave South Africa to the Guptas, is at all the South African Courts fighting everything else except to answer to the corruption charges he has been evading for the past twenty years since 2005.”

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Here’s what SA needs…

So, what could be done differently post-election?

Roodt said the right ideologies and private sector-friendly policies would improve SA’s current economic circumstance. 

“We need a government that can implement the right policies – and the ANC proved that they do not have,” Roodt said.

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