A week is a long time in politics, especially this week
It was former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson who said ‘A week is a long time in politics’.
That was in 1964 – when Donald Trump was barely out of his teens.
These days a single day is a long time in politics.
Events across the Atlantic are sure to weigh heavily on President Cyril Ramaphosa this week ahead of the State of the Nation Address. Trump has fired a broadside at the South African Government over the Expropriation Act, with funding cuts seemingly inevitable, along with tariffs of one form or another. Trump has taken aim at South Africa before, notably regarding farm murders, and South Africa's close affiliation with its Brics partners.
Unpredictable utterances from the US leader, either in relation to South Africa or any of his multiple other targets, are likely to be the ‘new normal’ as he embarks on his latest Presidential term. And with SA-born Elon Musk at his side, our policies and diplomatic relations may receive greater attention than before.
Regardless of whether one supports Trump, his public profile highlights the role of leadership in the information age of instant communication. This has relevance to this week's SONA address, where Ramaphosa has a chance to inspire citizens with a vision of common progress and nation building. Or will he miss another opportunity to outline a meaningful blueprint for investment-led growth?
Anything is possible but in truth SONA has already been overshadowed by the aforementioned Expropriation Act, as well as the announcement of the proposed Transformation Fund. It is hard to imagine a less investment-friendly intervention than the Expropriation Act, with the Transformation Fund not far behind in terms of business appeal. On the eve of another SONA, with its inevitable sound bites about job creation and service delivery, our capital markets are reeling – again – from a torrent of bad news.
Where are the Acts and Funds designed to attract investors, not chase them away? Where is the promised new dawn of bold leadership to lead South Africa, if not into prosperity then at least away from increasing poverty?
Few would disagree that the Government of National Unity is an opportunity to effect much-needed economic reform, with a view to narrowing grotesque inequality between rich and poor – the worst in the world. Few would disagree that South Africa is running out of time to do this. The GNU affords a rare partnership across the political spectrum to pursue common sense policies based on best practice and global competitiveness.
But on the eve of SONA there are worrying signs of a GNU still deeply divided along party lines. At a time when we expect our leaders to unite behind a common purpose of sustainable growth, we are stuck with an Expropriation Act that is divisive and ill-considered. The mechanisms to lawfully expropriate land in a just and equitable fashion are enshrined in our Constitution.
Rather than pursuing politically expedient policies that chase away investment and put us on shaky ground, our leaders should find common ground to help us prosper.
A week is a long time in politics, especially this week. Fortunately there's always the weekend.
John Lawson
CEO of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry