No Kumbaya without action

Durban — As expected, President Cyril Ramaphosa made all the right noises in his speech at the opening of Parliament on Thursday evening.

Now the talk must be translated into action, with tangible benefits for a nation which has placed much hope in the Government of National Unity.

Ramaphosa promised a focus on desperately needed growth and job creation, and that the government would compromise on the National Health Insurance issue – an announcement widely applauded in the business community – and undertook to deliver an accelerated reform programme.

However, successful delivery will depend on the direction adopted by the new government. Continuing with, or merely tweaking, the ANC’s failed strategies is a recipe for further failure, as will be its policy of cadre deployment.

The strength of the GNU will be demonstrated by not only its ability to chart a future trajectory, but also its willingness to acknowledge and undo the blunders of the past.

Key to this will be policies that deliver actual economic growth, rather than enriching a few chosen individuals, policies which help the country move away from its current welfare-state posture to one which supports, encourages and enables a job-creating, business-building attitude.

The election results demonstrated eloquently that those supporting the ANC’s governance have decreased in huge numbers, and this must be demonstrated in the new government’s programme.

Aside from the failing economy, infrastructure and municipal services have deteriorated, while crime has been allowed to escalate.

Education too needs a change in direction from the focus on delivering 30% passes to producing matriculants capable of succeeding at tertiary education level, or of making a living for themselves.

There’s no point sitting around singing Kumbaya if there’s nothing to celebrate other than a government composed of more political parties than in the past.

Independent on Saturday