Politics and government need fixing

The National Dialogue has elicited a mixed reaction from South Africa's intelligentsia.

- By Mzwandile kaBizokwakhe

Independent analyst Ebrahim Fakir has described it as a “monumental waste of time and resources” because it won't solve South Africa's problems, which are “ineptitude, laxity, laziness and sloth”.

Sunday World had asked Fakir if he thought the dialogue would be useful.

Fakir said South Africa is facing a failure of politics and government, not a lack of dialogue. As a result, the national dialogue “is [a] futile and monumental waste of time (and resources)”.

Almost 10 days ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africans will engage in a dialogue starting in August.

He had diagnosed the problems this dialogue will seek to resolve as “poverty, unemployment and inequality”.

He added that these are “deep wounds that prevent us from reaching our full potential as a nation and as a country”.

“Millions of people are underemployed and unemployed. Many of those who work earn wages that cannot sustain them or their families.

“Crime, gender-based violence and corruption are prevalent across our society,” the president said.

But Fakir scoffed at the idea, saying these are not problems that can be solved by dialogue.

“South Africa is facing a failure of politics and a failure of government, not a lack of dialogue. Until this is addressed, nothing else matters.”

To expound on his point, Fakir said South Africans talked enough. “There are many forums for participation, almost all of which are compliance or tick-box exercises rather than substantive processes of engagement.