LEBUSA MONYOOE | Nostalgia and hope shall not change SA’s fortunes

I picked three things from the president’s State of the Nation Address (Sona):

•  the humdrum parliamentary theatrics and ejection of opposition party members;
•  replication of promises; and 
• elevation of nostalgia and hope as drivers for change and success.

Nostalgia and hope cannot be a solution to our current quagmire. The president argued: “When we faced the greatest challenge of apartheid, we did not submit to the oppression … We stood firm and engaged in a struggle, hopeful that our cause would triumph…”

Regrettably, different contexts let to varied expectations. As part of the democratically elected government, we expect more on governance and achieved targets. Previous Sonas made bold promises and plans that never substantially materialised in changing ordinary livelihoods.

Placing so much faith on nostalgia and hope instead of tangible and practical approaches will not bring about desired outcomes. Senator John Faulkner calls for “transparency, integrity and accountability leadership” as pillars for good governance. Good governance manages synergies of bureaucratic structures and responsibility loops to strengthen efficacy and effectiveness of tiers of governance.

Nostalgia and hope as aesthetics can never crank socioeconomic challenges. It shall take more than just a Sona to create public confidence and ethical behaviour. Trust is everything and achieving it requires robust introspection and commitment to changes. SA needs leadership foresight to concretise plans and enlist resources for implementation fitting different contexts. Lenin once retorted, “do not try to resolve new challenges by old methods. Nothing will come of it.”

We expect those running tiers of governance to adapt and embrace change for the betterment of the society. One can draw parallels between the Sona and articles in The Economist titled “How Science goes wrong” and “Trouble at the Lab”. Both acknowledge scientific advancements since the 17th century but warn “… success can breed complacency. Modern scientists are doing too much trusting and not enough verifying – to the detriment of the whole science and humanity.”

Similarly, we expect those entrusted with public responsibilities to exercise “self-policing and quality control” as they deliver services to the public. Regrettably, we are too “trusting” and seldom “verify” their efficacy and effectiveness until the next Sona.

One also detected a sense of helplessness in the speech. “We cannot undo the mistakes that were made in the past, the capacity that was not built, the damage that was done to our power plants due to a lack of maintenance, or the effects of state capture on our institutions.” President Cyril Ramaphosa argued that: “What we can do is to fix the problem today, to keep the lights on tomorrow and for generations to come”.

That does not restore confidence in moving forward.

Solid partnerships should be explored with the higher education and training sector to optimise requisite skills. The idea to review Eskom’s R400bn from Treasury needs articulation given previous bailouts. The time for throwing money at the problem is done.

The rollout of rooftop solar panels is an interesting one, given the human settlements disparities in our communities. How will informal settlements access this intervention given the poor state of their dwellings?

The appointment of a minister for electricity raised mixed feelings. When Ramaphosa declared “merging portfolios and reducing ministers numbers from 36 to 28” was to improve “coherence, coordination and improved efficiency of governance”, in all spheres of governance, regrettably, poor service delivery and massive load shedding happened under the watch of ministers in the reconfigured governance structures. How shall this be different? Does placing it under the presidency guarantee efficacy?

Details on how the national state of disaster to deal with load shedding will operate are sketchy to determine feasibility and plunder proofing. Nostalgia and hope shall not change the fortunes of SA, but tacit plans, ethical leadership, requisite skills set and capacity, efficacious resource utilisation and management, and a shared vision of a successful SA serving the needs of all citizens.

• Monyooe, is a Sowetan reader