Remarks prepared for delivered by South African Ambassador to the United States, Welile Nhlapo, at the Conversation and Dinner with African Ambassadors hosted by the Africa Society in Washington, DC on 18 June 2008:
Since the transition to democracy in 1994 and the attainment of freedom for all, South Africa has made important advances toward the goal of a better life for all. While the challenges of poverty and under development remain acute, the necessary basis for a sustained, integrated and comprehensive development of our country has been laid.
In each of the 14 years of democracy that we have celebrated, it has always been absolutely critical that as a government, and a nation, that we take stock of the progress that has been made and reflect upon on the impediments in dealing with our challenges, and how to overcome these.
The first years of our democracy saw the introduction of a new constitutional and legislative framework. In 1996, a new Constitution was adopted and within this framework, our polity has seen progress in:
- Political stability
- Government effectiveness
- Regulatory quality
- Integrity and legitimacy of the State and the Rule of Law
- Systems to expose and deal with corruption
- Voice and accountability
The development and progress in these areas was vital in a process toward national reconciliation through assurance of the enforcement of the nation's basic human rights.
In 1994, when the ANC lead government took over the reigns, South Africans in all spheres of life were divided along racial lines – a divide which was enforced through repression and the denial of the most basic of human rights. The economy was isolated by the international community and stagnated while the state's debt grew.
The immediate challenge was therefore to revitalise the economy and create the political environment which ensured the basic human rights for all. After 14 years of democracy, I would like to focus on the challenges to democratisation and transformation in South Africa:
Challenges
The acceleration of the process for a better life for all, since 1994, has depended and continues to depend on the vast majority of South African's involvement in the implementation of government's programme. The transformation of South African society and the strategy for transformation, for the ANC and its democratic allies, has always been that it would be a people-driven process.
However, this has not been the case, as it would appear that the vast majority of people and the various formations of the democratic movement became immobilised in 1994. It is this same majority of South Africans and various democratic movements that were instrumental in the crippling of the apartheid regime. They have become objects rather than subjects of policy.
This of course has a direct and fundamental impact on the following critical challenges, in no particular order; we face as a society and nation. Government has been advocating that South Africans themselves are the greatest resource in the solution to these problems.
Fight against crime
Communities are integral in the fight against crime in South Africa. One of the biggest impediments to involving communities in the fight against crime is changing the mindset of communities to view the South African Police Services as a resource to communities as opposed to the pre – 1994 period when police officers unleashed terror and repression on black people. During apartheid, the state created specialised units tasked with repressing the majority of our people. These units operated based on political direction to suppress community organisation and the free movement of people. They operated as legalised institutions of terror. These units were disbanded when SA made the transition to democracy.
In a democratic SA, new specialised crime units were created to deal efficiently and effectively with serious crime and to expedite investigations that would result in solving criminal cases. However, this unit also encountered problems based on the manner in which they operated and conducted their investigations. The SAPS has a new mandate to protect the citizens of SA, unfortunately despite training toward this end, changing learned behaviour is not the easiest feat. To this end, the Independent Complaints Directorate has been created where individuals can file claims against police officers who exercise force in the execution of their duties.
Of course the increase in crime must also be seen within the context that during the period of transition, international criminal syndicates took advantage of lax laws to move into South Africa. These syndicates have taken advantage of those who live in poverty, offering easy, quick fix monetary based solutions.
It is important to note that in various communities there has been an establishment of community policing forums which has seen a reduction in crime in these communities. Members of these communities work together with the police by providing critical information resulted in the arrest of many criminals.
In addition, businesses in South Africa have united to support government and community efforts to fight crime. Business against Crime, an entity created by large businesses supports the police by providing electronic equipment, particularly in the Central Business Districts that is useful in detecting crime and allows for quick response.
At a metro level, our Metro Police Services work to create structures that create better coordination to respond to the challenges created by crime.
Influx of foreign nationals in search of a better life through economic opportunity
Since 1994, there has been influx of foreign nationals into South Africa. Asians, Africans and Eastern Europeans have all flocked to the country in search of economic opportunity and a better life.
This has presented its own challenges in relation to government's capacity to deliver basic services to its own citizens; however, equally important is that politically and socially South Africans are still dealing with integrating racially and have been forced to deal with foreign nationals and integrating them into our society.
Successes
The Constitution
The SA constitution is commonly referred to as the Rolls Royce of constitutions. Of critical importance is Chapter 2, the Bill of Rights. In addition the sections which deals with the length of term of office for President's and of course provisions which make the rights to housing and education inalienable rights.
Independent Electoral Commission
South Africa has held three free and fair elections since 1994. Voter turnouts have been phenomenal and there has been little or no violence associated with these elections. This can be attributed to the existence of the Independent Electoral Commission as well as large scale voter education.
The Economy
The vast majority of South Africans had for centuries been excluded from the formal economy during colonialism and later apartheid. They served predominantly as a supply of labour to both regimes. By 1994 despite being stagnant, the economy fast required sophisticated skills to compete globally. In addition, the government had to promulgate legislation that would give all South Africans equal access and opportunity for employment while taking into account the discriminatory laws of the past.
The most immediate challenge of government was to respond with interventions in the educational system, pre 1994, which was designed to ensure that black South Africans received education which made a labour supply possible. Naturally therefore interventions were based on providing black South Africans with education and training relevant to the needs of the changing economy.
Such interventions had to be made in primary, secondary and tertiary education with an evaluation of the specific needs of the economy such as math, science and engineering.
South Africa's economy grew by 6% in 2006, our highest rate of economic growth in 25 years. The unemployment rate has declined for three years in a row, with over a million jobs created in this period.
This growth has been relatively broad based, with the share of income going to Africans rising to above 50% in 2005. The number of black people entering the middle class increased by 30% in a single year to 2,6 million in 2006. What this represents is the significant shift in purchasing power toward the historically disadvantaged.
This has however not been enough and government has had to respond with further interventions:
ASGISA
The Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa objective is to ensure that economic growth is accelerated with the aim to halve unemployment and poverty by 2014.
It is a national shared growth initiative comprising a set of concrete economic proposals. It is not a new economic policy, but initiative to sustain higher and shared growth of GDP. Addresses 2nd economy issues – the poorest population remains largely excluded except through remittances and social grants.
The areas of intervention include:
- Macro-economic issues
- Infrastructure programmes
- Sector investment strategies
- Education and Skills strategies
- 2nd economy and SMMEs interventions
- Governance & Service delivery
The programme includes developing infrastructure to upgrade and build railway lines, harbours, ports and roads from 2005 to 2009. This has been elevated in importance since the announcement that South Africa will host the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup. The infrastructure programme is geared toward creating jobs.
Focus will also be concentrated on developing the well performing ad growing sectors of our economy, e.g. tourism and the motor industry. The programme has also identified six constraints to the growing of the economy. The six binding constraints are:
- Cost and efficiency of national logistics system and some infrastructure.
- Relative volatility of the currency.
- Shortage of suitably skilled labour and disjointed spatial settlement patterns.
- Barriers to entry and competition in sectors of the economy.
- Regulatory environment and burden on SMMEs
- Deficiency in state organisation, capacity and strategic leadership impacting on delivery
JIPSA
JIPSA is a multi-stakeholder working group through which government, business and labour will join forces to fast-track the provision of priority skills required to support accelerated and shared growth. It will identify the skills needed and advise on ways to respond to these challenges. Strategies include launching special training programmes, bringing back South Africans living abroad, drawing on retirees and attracting immigrants where necessary.
JIPSA will not duplicate existing structures, but will set skills priorities in support of ASGISA's economic growth objectives. It will identify and resolve systems blockages and constraints, and monitor and report on progress. It will also advise on aligning the training and skills development efforts of the public and private sectors with the objectives of ASGISA, without undermining the development and implementation of longer-term human resources development strategies.
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JIPSA will focus the attention of key government departments, SETAs, and public education and training providers on the achievement of core national objectives. It will call on business leaders to ensure that the private sector plays an active role in the provision of priority skills, and it will seek the support of organised labour for a shared priority skills agenda.
It is the empowerment arm of ASGISA. Based on ASGISA's priorities, JIPSA's work areas are:
- World class engineering and planning for the network, transport, communication and energy industries
- Regional planning and engineering skills desperately needed by SA municipalities
- Management and planning skills in education and health in municipalities
- Teacher training in math, science, ICT and language competence
- Financial and project managers for the tourism and BPO sectors
- Developmental economists for local economic development needs.
Coupled with prudent fiscal reform and economic growth, annually resources are made available for the delivery of service to communities at a local level. Non-delivery of service is directly related to the capacity of government officials at local level to plan and spend resources.
To this end we are happy to announce that Mayor Fenty's office has responded positively to our government's calls for support by taking an intern into his establishment where this individual will learn about service delivery at local government level. We hope that other localities in the US will also respond positively.
The next 14 years
Of critical importance to government is creating economic opportunity, employment and making serious interventions in the levels of poverty. While much has been done, there is much that needs to be done.
Education delivered to the vast majority of our people which would capacitate them with the understanding that they themselves are the critical component in the success of government's ability to achieve these ends is necessary. Vibrant community and civic based organisations are being encouraged to mobilise South Africans to develop solutions to their immediate challenges - this is a critical component in the fight against poverty, unemployment, housing and sexually transmitted diseases.
Of course government has developed the necessary policy environment to deliver on this social mandate and makes the necessary fiscal resources available for implementation and has developed the necessary response which reacts directly to the impediments.
