South Africa has emerged from a baptism of fire. The miracle of transformation, which saw a smooth transition from apartheid to democracy, is a cause for great celebration and thanksgiving. This hope has opened the possibility for people to rise above their ideologies and personal agendas and to be united by a common desire to seek what is good for the people and their country.
Today one of the most important responsibilities of leadership in all sectors is to nurture that hope and to operate on the premise of the interdependence of all creation.
Fortunately, we now have all the necessary instruments for a sustainable democracy. We are engaged in a process of nation-building that encompasses, among other things, major demands for reconciliation, reconstruction and development.
We are called to strive for wholeness, inclusivity, fairness, equity and respect for others. Investment in human capital, especially our children, is a priority. In the allocation of economic resources priority should be given to the development of previously disadvantaged communities. But we also need creative minds to reform the economic system so that everyone has the basics for human life.
We possess the resources and the technology. All that is required is the political will and economic commitment. Political liberation must be converted into socio-economic liberation. We cannot stand back and expect the politicians to pull this off in isolation.
I am delighted to note a marked shift towards constructive partnerships between business and the government. But I believe civil society, of which the church is part, carries equal responsibility for the facilitation of a future filled with hope.
What we urgently need is a vision that takes into account the sustainable development of society as well as our environment and our economy. But, it seems to me, that sustainable development is consistently undermined by market failures, especially in the global financial sector. Prospects for balanced growth and poverty eradication are hammered by currency speculation, capital flight and the repayment of odious debt, such as that incurred by the apartheid system. There is stock market and securities manipulation and other flows of finance that occur away from regulatory control systems.
Because the amounts of money are so vast and the present capacity of democratic governance so weak in comparison, it is worth more reflection to learn and look deeper into this sector’s problems and the domino effect it has on all of us.
We need to assert that the markets are not always right. Morally neutral in themselves, unless they are controlled and directed, their competitive nature leads to a situation in which the strong get stronger and the weak get weaker.
We do well to note the urging of Nobel economics laureate Professor Amartya Sen who emphasises that the validity of any economic policy should be judged on whether it takes into account its impact on people who are on the downside of the economy. In short, we need to create systems that encompass social opportunities.
Interestingly, while we in the church place increasing emphasis on the ministry of servanthood, there is now a parallel managerial concept in which the business executive is servant to the various stakeholders within a company, including its employees and the wider community.
There are, as I see it, three major challenges confronting us today. These are poverty eradication, the preservation of the integrity of creation and combating the Aids pandemic.
There are so many people who go hungry every day. Every year about 11-million children die of preventable causes, often for want of improvements in nutrition, sanitation, maternal health and education. Every year more than 500 000 women die as a result of pregnancy and childbirth, with huge regional disparities.
It is predicted by the latest World Bank Development Report that during the next 50 years the world population is likely to grow by 50% and that the global gross domestic product could increase fourfold.
It seems obvious therefore that unless we create and encourage better policies and more far-sighted governments worldwide, efforts to promote development and raise the living standards of humankind will fail.
In Southern Africa there are nearly 30-million people who face extreme food shortages between now and April next year. Donor countries’ responses to the emergency are short-term solutions. The recurrence of such crises will remain until the right to food for all dominates the agenda of international financial institutions, governments and civil society.
The food crisis we face in this region varies from country to country. However, each has the same elements: poverty and vulnerability, bad weather, conflict, poor governance and economic collapse. In addition, the high rate of HIV and Aids has compounded the problems.
As if this were not enough, evidence shows that external pressure by controversial donor-driven policies has exacerbated the deadly mix described above. These policies make it more difficult for Africans to grow or buy food.
As a result of structural adjustment programmes over the past 15 years, subsidies for the agricultural sector in Africa have stopped. The result has been a negative effect on poverty and food security. And it is hypocritical for financial institutions to advise African governments to stop state intervention when the US and Europe spend millions to subsidise their farmers.
However, even as we remember this, Africans must acknowledge the need to act against corrupt leadership, political violence, practices that undermine democracy and still, to a large extent, treat women as commodities rather than full and equal partners.
If we are serious about eradicating poverty, we need to hold leaders accountable. We must not be afraid to speak truth to power and, above all, we must not confuse solidarity with passive compliance to policies that deny people the right to life in its full abundance. I am, however, encouraged by the global consensus as articulated in the Millennium Development Goals, which include, inter alia, halving the number of people living in abject poverty by 2015.
Here in South Africa our greatest challenge is to eradicate poverty and develop its people while ensuring that the natural environment is not destroyed in the process. There must be development, but not at the price of destroying the natural environment for the next generation.
God has provided for our needs not our greed.
Environmental justice is integral to peace and prosperity. The environment cannot speak out for itself; it cannot toyi-toyi. It needs us to speak up on its behalf.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development has been hailed a success by some, while others dubbed it “a summit of shameful deals”.
On the positive side: there was an integrated approach to development in which the relationship between environmental issues and poverty eradication was highlighted, as was the responsibility of all states, while the removal of trade barriers was high on the agenda. From a negative point of view, very little was discussed on HIV and Aids, which are major challenges in this region.
We must never forget that we are not dealing with statistics but people.
The much-touted concept of a global village is finally a reality and the synergies that evolve out of constructive partnerships are immeasurable. While these partnerships are essential to sustainable development, they are equally important to the spiritual well-being of our nation. It is out of spiritual awareness and responsibility that just political systems, ethical management of resources, fair trade and mutual respect are born and then nurtured.
So I pray that, as more businesses invest in our future through empowerment of the weak and socially beneficial strategic partnerships, they leave a wake of hope and peace and joy.
The is an edited version of the speech given by the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, at the Mail & Guardian’s Investing in the Future Awards