/ 11 February 2011

Promises broken, promises kept

Promises Broken

It has been a mixed bag of promises kept and broken since Jacob Zuma’s last State of the Nation address.

In his speech in 2010 South Africa heard the continued refrain of job creation and economic growth, as well as pledges to improve education, healthcare, safety and security. There was also tough talk on corruption and its impact on service delivery.

But, as analysts and politicians have pointed out, in many of these areas government’s performance, while not abysmal, has been patchy. On the economic front Zuma talked up government’s new ­Industrial Policy Action Plan (Ipap) and its focus on “green jobs”, which would build stronger and more labour-absorbing industries.

During 2010, as part of the overall bid to refocus and stimulate economic growth, the new growth path (NGP) was launched. But as Justin Sylvester, a political researcher at Idasa points out, it is still not clear how the key institutions and policies meant to devise and drive economic growth will work together.

In addition, government introduced a raft of labour-law amendments late last year that could have major unintended consequences, including further job losses. In last year’s address Zuma also ordered that “local government must work”, saying that “municipalities must improve the provision of housing, water, sanitation, electricity, waste management and roads”.

In addition, he called on the public service to make “this term one of faster action and improved state performance.” But, accountability continues to be a problem, said Sylvester.

The public service strike in the third quarter of last year crippled healthcare and education countrywide and cost the nation an additional R7,5-billion. The rates crisis in Johannesburg has cut across class, argued Sylvester, affecting not only wealthy ratepayers but the poor and marginalised.

Municipal Systems Act
The ANC has attempted to address the problems of local government by, among other measures, amending the Municipal Systems Act. If passed, the Bill will prevent party office-bearers from holding senior municipal management positions at local government level. This could begin to address the problems spawned by cadre deployment, said Sylvester.

On the infrastructure front, while Zuma committed about R846-billion to public infrastructure spending last year, government processes have held up progress in key areas. This is particularly stark in the energy sector, as the creation of an integrated resource plan — the government’s 20-year electricity programme — has taken more than a year to develop. Without it, the promises Zuma made last year that independent power producers would be allowed to enter the local market cannot be met.

The public service strike also undermined Zuma’s commitment last year to get pupils and teachers “in school, in class, on time, learning and teaching for seven hours a day”.

In a press briefing this week the Democratic Alliance’s parliamentary leader, Athol Trollip, pointed out that in spite of promises, only 37% of the 11,8-million workbooks had reached classrooms at the start of this year.

While the matric pass rate improved sharply in 2010, from 60% to 67%, there is wide speculation that upward adjustment of the results, rather than better performance, was the main contributing factor.

Police statistics showed a decline in crime, especially murder, but the allegations about police commissioner Bheki Cele’s involvement in irregularities relating to the acquisition of a new police headquarters cast a shadow over the integrity of the top police leadership.

The health department succeeded in negotiating prices for antiretroviral drugs from major pharmaceutical companies down to roughly half of what they could have been. However, budgeting and delivery shortcomings continue to plague provincial health departments.