The Employment Equity Amendment Bill, now before Parliament, is the latest move in a long process that is progressively diminishing the economic space within which minorities can operate.   

It is, of course, essential that the economy must be open to all South Africans at all levels – but this can be achieved far more effectively through natural economic evolution and by prohibiting unfair discrimination than by imposing a system in which appointments, promotions and tenders are based on race rather than on individual merit and effort.

The Amendment Bill will give the Minister of Labour the power to establish sectoral numerical targets to ensure “equitable representation of suitably qualified people from designated groups (black South Africans, women and persons with disabilities) at all occupational levels in the workforce.”  “Designated employers” – i.e. those that employ more than 50 people – will have to ensure that the “numerical goals” in their employment equity plans comply with the applicable sectoral numerical target. 

The United Nations (UN) has numerous days on the annual calendar dedicated to some or other cause or campaign. Many of these pass by almost unnoticed. International Anti-Corruption Day, commemorated on 9 December every year, should not be one of those. For South Africans, this day, is (unfortunately) all too real.

The UN brought together a number of nations 15 years ago to adopt the Convention Against Corruption. Today, 186 states are party to the Convention and subscribe to its anti-corruption goals and ideals. In terms of the Convention, nearly every country in the world has laws in place making corruption a crime. Every country has further committed, through the well-known Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “to reducing corruption and bribery, strengthening the recovery and return of stolen assets and developing effective, inclusive and transparent institutions”.

The full weight of expectation of the country now rests on newly-appointed National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Advocate Shamila Batohi. Her appointment by President Ramaphosa on 4 December 2018, was received with both relief and hope that she will repair and lead the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) into a future that is unsullied. 

The question of course is that of whether the nation pins its hope – yet again – on “a fixer”, in the absence of the drive to engage systematic and urgent change. Advocate Batohi comes to the position with impeccable credentials and minus the taint of some of her predecessors but will have to contend with an already overflowing inbox; a team that is politically divided and a mission to rejuvenate credibility in the criminal justice system. All this, at a time when too many South Africans appear to be jaded. However, history has proven again and again that South Africans are a feisty lot – with opinions to match – and the new NDPP will receive ample advice even in advance of her assumption of duties in February 2019.

2018 is almost over. December is a time for many South Africans to wrap things up and conclude business, to take some time off and to rest. But it is also a time of taking stock of the year and what was achieved – and to start thinking about what 2019 holds.

Call it a combination of wishes for Christmas presents and New Year’s resolutions, but if there are say, only five things that can be chosen, I would choose the following five for the country. It could be the recipe for success for South Africa in 2019.

It’s not unusual to hear people say “Cyril is not moving fast enough to fight and end State capture and corruption”. He should have sent so and so “to jail long ago…”

But is it that simple? And what is really happening?

One can accept President Ramaphosa’s bona fides that corruption and State capture must be stopped. He was and is on record that he is serious about it. His own actions and those of his close allies (such as Pravin Gordhan with the lifestyle audits for SOEs), testify to this.

A senior business leader recently shared with me while we were on a plane that the President estimates that there are 700 key posts in the public service occupied by Zuma confidants. So far this year, 150 better people have already been appointed, but the number that remain is still massive.

Friday, November 16, will mark exactly nine months since President Ramaphosa delivered his maiden speech in Parliament. Amid non-stop news, it is perhaps good to take a quiet moment and to evaluate how the “new dawn” looks after nine months (and it was perhaps just as exhausting as a difficult pregnancy!).

On 16 February, the new President made a number of commitments to the representatives of South Africa’s people (and thereby to all of us). Some of these were commitments that were already in the works under former Cabinet members, and others were clearly his own. In many cases, he placed his own stamp on these commitments.