Politics

In the midst of political alliances with coal lobbyists, environmentalists are urging strategic voting and active citizenship to address the deepening climate crisis and stave off the collapse of natural systems. Voting is crucial, but South Africa's political parties are falling short on addressing urgent climate and ecological challenges. In reality, many are "schizophrenic", "bipolar", cozying up to vested interests, or simply "gaslighting" the public rather than addressing real environmental issues like rampant water pollution. And while some tout radical economic transformation, they really just want to shift beneficiaries within the mineral-energy complex while stubbornly clinging to coal. This calls for strategic voting this month and continued vigilance and proactive action beyond elections to push for necessary changes. This was a key take-home message emerging from the latest Tipping Points webinar - the 21st in a series convened by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation. Titled "People, place and planet at the polls," the webinar featured Dr Alex Lenferna, general-secretary of the Climate Justice Coalition, and environmental justice activist Dr Ferrial Adam, executive manager of the WaterCAN initiative. The conversation was facilitated by Julia Evans, a climate and biodiversity journalist for Daily Maverick’s Our Burning Planet. Lenferna highlighted South Africa’s continued reliance on coal despite international commitments to reduce dependency fossil fuels. He said South Africa’s power stations remained among the world’s biggest burners of coal despite the country being a signatory to the 2015 Paris Agreement and other climate change related treaties. Contradictory Lenferna criticized all major political parties for their handling of climate change and related environmental concerns, and singled out the ANC for its contradictory stance. He described the ruling party as "schizophrenic or bipolar", citing …

Professor Brian Ganson is Head of the Centre on Conflict & Collaboration at Stellenbosch Business School, a hub for research and reflection on the private sector, conflict, and human security. We already know that whatever new governments emerge at local, provincial, and national levels due to voting on 29 May, they will face overwhelming challenges delivering the promises of the Constitution to all South Africans. Big business should be planning now for a renewed, more constructive role in bringing stability to the socio-political landscape and ensuring the country’s future. On 30 May, South Africans will wake up to a different political landscape. New political parties and coalitions, the inclusion of independent candidates in National Assembly and provincial legislature contests, and shifts in support for legacy parties underline the continued vibrancy of our electoral democracy. At the same time, these dynamics of political contestation create a tumultuous environment for the development social and economic policy and the delivery of public services. The elections take place at the end of a year in which South Africa experienced four confrontations that were so violent that they registered as “battles” in the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) dataset, together with 658 riots. These were overwhelmingly tied to frustration and despair over the bread-and-butter issues of human dignity and human security defined as fundamental in the Constitution. 181 incidents of state violence against civilians were also recorded. Despite our electoral robustness, our social contract is straining to the breaking point. So, we do know one thing with great certainty. The new governments at local, provincial, and national levels—no matter how willing they are—will not be able to, on their own, formulate and implement solutions to our pressing problems such as energy, water, food security, education, housing, or criminal violence with anything …

As the world celebrates International Workers' Day, on 01 May, Afrika Tikkun (AT) emphasizes the importance of skills development and adaptability in today's rapidly evolving economy. Afrika Tikkun calls on workers to take charge of their skills development to remain relevant and valuable contributors to both their households and the economy. South Africa’s labour workforce shows a skills mismatch and, in 2019, it was reported that South Africa has a skills mismatch of more than 50% and the lowest productivity in labour workforce compared to 30 other countries. According to the Global Competitiveness Index for 2017-2018, as reported by the World Economic Forum, South Africa ranked 61st out of 137 countries in terms of its ability to develop, attract and retain talent. South Africa faces several economic and labour market contextual issues that impact its overall development and stability. Also, the World Bank forecasted that South Africa’s economic growth has been sluggish, averaging around 1% annually over recent years. Factors such as policy uncertainty, corruption, inadequate infrastructure and electricity supply constraints have hampered private sector investment and stifled economic expansion. Insufficient progress in structural reforms and addressing governance issues have also impacted the confidence of investors. In addition, South Africa has a complex labour market regulatory framework, which includes minimum wage legislation, collective bargaining and strict labour market entry and exit regulations. While these mandates aim to protect workers’ rights and promote social justice, they can also create barriers to employment, especially for small businesses and low-skilled workers. This result is exacerbated in an era where technological advancements and automation are gradually transforming the nature of work. The World Economic Forum’s latest “Future of Jobs” report shows that 23% of all jobs globally will change by 2027, noting that job losses …

By Onyi Nwaneri CEO of Afrika Tikkun Three decades into our constitutional democracy, the remnants of our dark past continue to lurk in the layered echelons of our unequal society. In commemoration of Freedom Day, on 27 April, we are reminded that though blood was shed and sacrifices were made to attain this freedom, not all South Africans are privy to its gains. Many South Africans are politically free yet economically poor. According to a 2019 World Bank report, South Africa is the most unequal country in the world, with race playing a determining factor in a society where 10% of the population owns more than 80% of the wealth. The report further stated that South Africa ranked first among 164 countries as the most unequal country in the world. Despite almost 30 years after the end of apartheid, “race remains a key driver of high inequality in South Africa, due to its impact on education and the labour market,” it said. Thus, deliberate and strategic actions to end poverty must become the norm, especially if countries are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. According to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, the increased access to education has led to a dramatic decrease in the total number of people living in extreme poverty. In the same vein, Afrika Tikkun’s Group CEO, Dr. Onyi Nwaneri believes enabling the vulnerable to access quality education from early childhood to tertiary and beyond ultimately leads to economically empowered individuals who can create sustainable livelihoods. Yet, despite commendable efforts by government, the private and public sectors as well as civil society, a large percentage of South Africans are living in extreme poverty. Last year, 46 000 more people were without jobs in the fourth quarter of 2023, bringing South Africa’s unemployment rate to 32.1%. Statistics SA’s data shows that the largest employment losses were in the community and social services sector, which …

As South Africa faces a looming leadership crisis amidst upcoming elections, trust in key institutions has reached unprecedented lows, according to various studies. In response to this alarming trend, there is a growing call for a shift towards responsible leadership to foster economic and social stability. According to the Institute of Justice and Reconciliation's December 2023 report trust in leadership has plummeted to an all-time low. Shockingly, 80% of citizens believe that political leaders are untrustworthy, and corruption persists without any evident will among leaders to restrain or curb it. Prof Mias de Klerk, director of the Centre for Responsible Leadership Studies (Africa) at Stellenbosch Business School says, “A lack of responsible leadership lies at the core of rising ethical, organisational, ecological and societal failures. This lack of trust in leadership is not new; the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer similarly reported a pervasive belief that leaders in government, business and the media are intentionally deceptive.” “The erosion of trust in key institutions and their leaders undermines the legitimacy of our democracy and hampers economic growth prospects.” In response to this crisis, the Centre for Responsible Leadership Studies at Stellenbosch Business School has released a Manifesto for Responsible Leadership for a Better World, challenging South Africa’s leaders in business, government, civil society and the media to “stress-test” and assess themselves against its principles. Prof De Klerk said contributors to the crisis of trust in leadership included ethical failures and corruption, lack of action on climate change, and irresponsible management practices leading to high levels of employee disengagement or “quiet quitting”. He highlights that South Africans have higher levels of trust in business than in government to solve the country’s socio-economic problems, and they expect CEOs to take a public stand on issues such as …