President Cyril Ramaphosa. The hope that Ramaphosa’s “new dawn” would take us out of this quagmire has literally faded into the sunset. Picture: Jairus Mmutle/GCIS
By Rasheed Gutta
THE ANC-led government under President Cyril Ramaphosa has mismanaged the country and continues the pillaging and looting unabated.
The continued load shedding, water shortages and collapse of Transnet, among other state-owned entities, have had a devastating effect on the economy and living conditions of the people in this country, yet the very ANC-led government wants to be given another opportunity.
The smooth running of essential services such as electricity, water, healthcare, road infrastructure, sewerage, education, and security are in dire straits and leave much to be desired.
Our own complacency as citizens, including our world-renowned Constitution, has also failed to prevent the ANC-led government from corrupting and mismanaging the country, which has now gone on for almost 30 years unabated and without consequence.
The hope that Ramaphosa’s “new dawn” would take us out of this quagmire has literally faded into the sunset. He has really been unable to provide the stern leadership necessary to avert the rot in the government, the economic decline, and create urgently needed employment, allowing the status quo to prevail.
The desire of the ANC to self-correct and renew with the same people in power is a pipe dream.
Despite the rot, the ANC has no appetite that could be found among the broader citizenry of this country. They have also failed to implement their own policies despite having a majority in government to pass the legislation easily.
In fact, they lack policy certainty within themselves, which makes it impossible to implement anyway. As a result of this, “the ANC has lost the legitimacy to govern SA”.
The ANC policies of GEAR, BEE, affirmative action, and cadre deployment, among many others, have not had the desired effect of transforming the lives of the majority of the population.
In fact, it has exacerbated inequality and poverty levels to such an extent that the country currently has the highest rate of inequality in the world, and it is worse than during apartheid.
Nobody is taking Ramaphosa seriously anymore. He should instead reflect on this saying by Albert Einstein: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
On Freedom Day last year, Ramaphosa urged South Africans to vote for leaders who could reduce state corruption and looting.
He said, “As citizens, especially young South Africans, let us all go and register to vote next year so that we take responsibility for the future of our country. We must exercise our civic duty to ensure that there is no place for those who want to steal, plunder, and loot.”
We now need to heed this call from the president as we approach the 2024 elections.
The current system under Ramaphosa and the ANC-led government has been designed to allow the majority in the ANC to control government systems, so through their system of cadre deployment and patronage, they perpetuate corruption and criminality at the expense of South Africans.
Up to now, the legislature, including prosecutory bodies such as the National Prosecuting Authority, which are controlled by the very ANC, has failed to hold the ruling party’s leaders to account.
Most “comrades” still hold strategic positions in the government despite prima facie evidence of wrongdoing.
As we are now on the eve of the 2024 national and provincial elections, it is relieving to know that more than 52 parties and independent candidates will be contesting.
And during last week’s swearing-in ceremony on the code of conduct hosted by the IEC, we witnessed a wonderful bunch of upcoming leaders with a renewed vision for the country who have lifted up their hands to save this country.
Let us join the call to save the country and ensure that the estimated 27.6 million registered voters turn up on May 29, 2024, and make their mark to effect the necessary leadership change that this country now needs in order to prosper.
“Enough is enough” and “Not in My Name” should become the prerogative. There is no shortage of options with a diverse group of leaders and parties.
These future leaders have had the foresight to “come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians” and that the governing ANC was going to find it impossible to fix the damage the country has sustained for the past 15 “wasted years”.
The ANC under Ramaphosa has neither the capacity nor the willingness to save our country. It is time for ordinary South Africans to rise up and claim their country from these pillagers who steal without impunity for self-enrichment.
* Rasheed Gutta is a candidate for the Sun Party. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of independent Media.