BUILDING A BETTER LIFE
strand, into one united and successful nation.
A point worth noting is that the commission is making a case for what needs to be done by all, regardless of political persuasion or station in life, if we are to live out those great values in our constitution.
More jobs are needed in South Africa’s manufacturing industry.
example, better quality schooling will make it easier for young people to access the labour market. But it also enables workers to improve their productivity, to learn faster on the job and to raise their incomes and living standards.
Poor quality education, on the other hand, locks people out of the labour market and when people do find work, it often traps them in low- paying, low-productivity work. There are other dimensions of this story as well. Good quality public transport helps people search for work over a wider area; it helps them get to work faster and more cheaply; but it also assists in permitting people to live fuller lives with more recreational and family time, and it reduces the harmful environmental effects of traffic jams.
Social protection helps shield families and workers from unforeseen events such as death, illness or injury. Its key objective is to level the impacts of shocks between, for example, those who earn sufficiently well to insure against unforeseen events and those who are too poor to do so. Public investment complements private investment, which is critical for
job creation and employment.
Removing old barriers and closing huge gaps
We argue strongly that the harmful effects of spatial separation, one of the pillars of apartheid that we have not yet succeeded in demolishing, must be broken down. Our towns and cities must house us differently, must connect us differently, must afford us space to play and pray.
We must retain the option to remain in the countryside and we should be able to have access to a sustainable livelihood there. The commission takes a holistic approach to development with detailed plans for 13 areas that link and interact with each other.
In addition to the physical aspects of development, the plan also recognizes the social dimension, such as the need for social cohesion to underpin faster progress, the need for greater accountability of leaders in both the public and private sectors, for citizens to be active in their communities and in public life, and for a capable and developmental state that is effective, caring and innovative. The plan must bind us, strand by
20 | The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One - South Africa
When we raise targets the numbers we use are precisely that which we must aim for! We are aware that we will not hit all of these; but all of us need a consciousness of how wide off the mark we actually are. The commission has also identified other enabling milestones to achieve the broad objectives of the plan. For example, we would have to create an additional 11 million jobs over the next two decades. Per capita income should rise from about R50,000 per person to about R120,000, but distributed more evenly across the population. The economy would have to expand to almost three times the present level. The share of income accruing to the bottom 40 per cent of the population should rise from six per cent to 10 per cent. All children should have access to proper nutrition from birth to ensure proper formative development, and 90 per cent of children in grade 6 should be able to read, write and count at the appropriate level.
Between that desirable state and the present, where even the school nutrition programme is difficult to implement, lies a huge chasm. The object of the plan is to bridge such a chasm.
These targets are more than just arbitrary or distant points on a road map. They are carefully calibrated milestones along a path to prosperity and equity for all.
Despite massive progress since 1994, on the present trajectory we will not achieve our target of eliminating poverty and reducing inequality by 2030. Without faster progress, there is a real chance that South Africa could slide backwards while dealing with the immense challenges that threaten to overwhelm our capacity to succeed.
For these reasons, we must
accelerate the pace of change, and work harder and better to move towards the vision we all aspire to. It is possible. We are capable as a nation of achieving these bold and ambitious but realistic objectives. When we unite and work together, we can achieve miracles. Our history is testament to this.
A foundation for the future Our plan to eliminate poverty and inequality rests on six pillars. The first is to unite all South Africans around a common programme to fight poverty and inequality and to foster a spirit of unity. But this will remain a hollow call unless we can improve the lives of young black people.
To promote social cohesion, the commission proposes that the preamble of the constitution be displayed in all workplaces and schools and that all South Africans be encouraged to learn at least one indigenous African language. We also propose ways to improve the efficacy of redress measures such as black economic empowerment and employment equity.
The second pillar is an active citizenry. Working individually and collectively with others in the community, citizens have a critical role to play in their own development and in the development of our country. The idea that people sit back and wait for government to deliver is neither feasible nor consistent with “people- centred” development.
The third pillar is a growing and inclusive economy. Without faster and more inclusive economic growth, it will not be possible to deliver on the objectives that we have set for ourselves. We need this to help pay for the development of capabilities such as education and infrastructure to improve the life chances of our people. The main change we seek is an economy that is more labour absorbing. We need to create more jobs, and in order to make progress in broadening ownership of the economy.
Our economy is caught in a low growth trap. To reverse this, we
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