Things aren’t as bad as we think, says expert panel

JORDAN MOSHE

So says University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) vice-chancellor Adam Habib, who weighed in on the current state of South African affairs at the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) conference on Sunday.

He was joined in a panel discussion by businessman and academic Dr Reuel Khoza, Nando’s co-founder Robbie Brozin, Judge David Unterhalter, and SAJBD president Mary Kluk. Journalist Mandy Weiner moderated as they unpacked the reality of South Africa and evaluated its potential on various fronts.

According to the panel, South Africans tend to believe that their perceptions are reality, allowing negative opinions to colour their everyday outlook. Although we do face considerable challenges, our situation is not as dire as we may think and actually offers us an opportunity to secure a better future.

We tend to see things as either positive or negative, when the truth is it’s not quite one or the other, said Unterhalter. “We are always very inwardly focused. We need to gaze at the world at large and have some sense of the times we have lived through. We are finding our way as a country in a world of dramatic change. The world is difficult and we’re not alone with our problems.” 

Even with our problems, Khoza maintained, South Africa is not in a critical condition. “We are not in ICU, and I daresay we are not even in hospital,” he said. “We are in a state which we might call parlous, because things are not as they should be. Unemployment, an unsound economy, poverty and other issues do affect us.”

He added numerous positive factors that stand in the country’s favour, among them that South Africa generates 16% of Africa’s GDP, possesses one of the most open economies in the world, and has banks that rank among the top three in the world.

“[President Cyril] Ramaphosa raised at two consecutive investment conferences R304 billion last year, and R371 billion this year,” Khoza said. “It doesn’t come easy or go to a country that is not a direct investment destination.”

Ultimately, our perception of reality is coloured by who we listen to, stressed Habib. “If you listen to the politicians, it’s quite depressing,” he said. “But if you look at the hard indicators, then I think we look far more promising than we imagine.”

He explained that although the rhetoric suggests our universities are in big trouble, Wits and other top institutions in South Africa continue to raise the bar on numerous fronts, including postgraduate and research output.  “Parents want to tell me about why it’s important to go to the US or UK for their children,” said Habib. “They’re scared. But the irony is that to go to the UK costs about
R900 000. Wits is one-ninth of the price and we produce the equivalent graduate and will continue to do so.

“We’ve not had as dangerous a moment globally as we have right now. When you say you’re leaving, where are you going to? The US is politically polarised, the UK has Brexit, Germany has the [right-wing political party] AFD, Italy has the Five Star Movement. Wherever you look, there is a politics of nativism that could bring the world to an end.”

He stressed that the belief that white students have no future here is a myth. “Data suggests that white graduates get jobs faster than black students because most jobs happen through networks in the private sector,” he said. “It’s an absolute myth that white students have no future here.”

Jews, too, can continue to be assured of a future in South Africa, added Kluk. “It remains good to be Jewish in South Africa. In 2018, Canada had over 2 000 violent anti-Semitic incidents and the UK had 1 645. South Africa had one, which we’re not even sure can be called violent. The opportunity to live a full religious life here is extraordinary and not to be taken for granted.”

The panellists agreed that there is still hope for the country, outlining some of the strategies we might use and listing the traits in our favour. “We have attributes that are difficult to see when we are buried in despondency,” Unterhalter said. “These include a constitutional framework that has endured, a robust civil society, and a strong private sector of entrepreneurial talent.”

He added that the courts are ready to hear corruption cases, even if they are complex. “Unfortunately, the prosecution services have slowed,” he said. “None are being brought forward by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). It’s not acceptable anymore. There must be readiness to begin with simple charges first before bringing the biggest cases. The NPA must accept offers of help from the legal profession, and actionable cases must be addressed no matter who is implicated.” 

Khoza agreed with the positive outlook, suggesting that businesses and the citizenry must rally around Ramaphosa, in whom he expressed confidence. “We as a country are not about to die but will turn things around for the better,” he said.

Although equally positive, Habib took issue with certain parts of the president’s conduct and our perception of him. “Stop relating to Cyril in a romanticised way,” he urged. “He was the best candidate we had and he has done more than we thought he could. But he is making big mistakes and we need to acknowledge that.

“He is playing a long game but needs short-term victories to maintain public support. He has got to be seen to lead as president and make hard choices. He needs to stare rich people down and demand things of CEOs, and also stare down unions and demand concessions.”

Habib added that in terms of law, government must do more. He said: “Why have we not passed a law to confiscate the Guptas’ assets? We can win this. The same is true at Eskom. Choose a board, choose a CEO, choose an executive and shut up.”

Ultimately, the common sentiment was that there is a sizeable opportunity inherent in the current situation South Africa faces, and even the layperson can and must get involved.

“The mess created over the last nine years gives us an opportunity,” said Brozin. “The bigger the mess, the more opportunities it creates and the more people it will take to fix it. We have to be patient, but there is a strong turn coming and opportunities are coming our way.” 

However, if we really want to start implementing change for the better, we need to begin by altering our mindset. “There’s a disjuncture between perception and reality,” said Habib. “Start focusing on reality, not rhetoric. Do your own research, and you’ll find your results are very different.”