There is no doubt that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is facing an unemployment crisis, with an unemployment rate of 30.5% – that is, more than one million people without work. One only needs to step out of this Legislature to witness the number of homeless and jobless people that line the streets of Pietermaritzburg to understand the human face of this crisis.
The MK would have us believe that the silver bullet to unemployment can be found on the weathered “road to socialism”, underpinned by the wisdom of their sage Jacob Zuma. Unfortunately, history has taught us otherwise.
Firstly, socialism, particularly when linked to the nationalization of key entities, has not only consistently, but catastrophically, failed to address unemployment and poverty in countries where it has been implemented.
The first case-in-point is Venezuela – once one of the wealthiest nations in Latin America. Over time, due to its socialist policies, which have included the nationalization of its oil industry, Venezuela’s economy has been led to ruin. With soaring unemployment and millions of people living in abject poverty, Venezuelans have had to flee their home to find job opportunities in other countries.
We need not look as far as South America for other examples of disastrous socialist policies that have plunged millions into poverty and despair, when we need only look next door. Zimbabwe’s collapse is not just a cautionary and sorrowful tale.
As South Africans, we have first-hand experience of the human toll former President, Robert Mugabe’s disastrous attempts at centralising the economy have had – including his catastrophic land nationalisation policy. Zimbabweans have been migrating to South Africa for decades because of the political and economic turmoil brought upon them by socialist policies.
There are many other examples which demonstrate a critical flaw with socialism that is: centralizing government control creates a breeding ground for corruption and mismanagement, exacerbating the very inequality it seeks to solve.
Even more confounding is that the MK – the proposer of this debate – has not only proposed failed socialist economic policy as a panacea for KZN’s unemployment crisis – but has decided to paint a picture of former President Jacob Zuma as a hero for “economic justice”. Either the MK has selective amnesia or is playing April Fools in November.
The last time South Africa checked Jacob Zuma cost us R1.5 trillion under state capture. This is R1.5 trillion that could have been used to create millions of jobs.
It is unsurprising that the MK would proudly laud Jacob Zuma as the poster child for economic justice when it’s members’ CVs read like a rap sheet. It appears that corruption is the number one skill required to obtain a MK membership card.
Along with state capture suspects, Jacob Zuma has also just welcomed another convicted fraudster into the fold. And this is the party that wants to lead the charge on economic transformation. The only advice that can and should be sought from the MK is how to steal from the poor to finance fire-pools, helipads and mansions in Dubai.
The real hero of job creation can be found here in South Africa and it is in the DA-led Western Cape which has consistently delivered the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, the Western Cape’s expanded unemployment rate is 23.9%, compared to the national average of 42.1%. This, while between the second and third quarters of 2024, the province added 75 000 jobs, leading the nation in job creation during this period. The facts are that over the past decade, the Western Cape has attracted investment and supported industries such as agriculture, tourism, and technology to create sustainable jobs.
The strategies behind the DA-led Western Cape’s success are no secret and can be replicated in KZN by;
• Prioritising investment in infrastructure to ensure businesses have the resources and environment needed in order to thrive
• Letting investors know that KZN offers a stable and predictable environment, that corruption is rooted out, and that there is accountability for every Rand spent and;
• Ensuring programmes to equip young people with skills for emerging industries so that they are prepared for employment.
Further to this, initiatives such as Cape Skills and Employment Accelerator have also empowered thousands with training and placement in jobs. This, while the Western Cape’s focus on green energy projects has also created a growing sector for sustainable jobs. Initiatives such as this could prove ground-breaking for KZN.
While KZN is starting to take bigger steps in this direction, government must persist in revitalizing KZN’s economy. Working together under the governments of provincial and national unity, lessons and strategies to overcome some of South Africa’s biggest challenges must be shared.
Government must rise to the occasion – millions of people are depending on us. It cannot allow the socialist rhetoric of salon communists and the hypocrisy of Jacob Zuma—a man whose actions destroyed jobs and opportunities—guide the fate of our province. South Africa deserves better. KZN deserves better.
By standing resolute in ethical governance, adopting sound policies, and embracing a free-market economy, KZN can be a province where unemployment is not the norm. This means rejecting failed ideologies and instead embracing proven solutions that will get our province working again.
Marxist theory places great emphasis on accountable and ethical leadership. If it were to take root in South Africa, it is important to note the words of famed Marxist, Frantz Fanon, that corrupt leaders are to be dealt with “decisively”. The MK should be careful what it wishes for.