We need to sing a new song

It is the first time post-apartheid that our country is going through such a difficult time. With ours being a relatively young democracy, the challenges we face could be characterized as the pains of growing up.

Among these, I would like to pick up a few and propose how we can possibly solve them. But before I can even do so, let me say we as South Africans are a resourceful people. We have within us the ability to find solutions to the challenges that face us.

We were once in a situation, just before our democratic breakthrough where our economy was on its deathbed. With the sanctions and economic isolation that preceded the 1994 historic elections, the new South Africa started off virtually bankrupt. In just about 22 years, we have come a long way though we still have some issues we need to resolve.

One of these is the distrust among social partners. For any economy to develop, the three major social partners - government, labour and business - must work together. They do not necessarily have to agree ideologically but they must all be on the same page when it comes to the national interest.

For far too long, the relationship between business and government has been toxic. Business has often felt its bona fides were being consistently questioned by government and its role not appreciated. Compounding the problem has been its view that government lacks policy certainty and therefore does not create the necessary environment for both domestic and foreign investment.

On the other hand, government has often felt that business is not committed to SA Incorporated and does not show confidence in the local economy. Indeed, the view is strong in government that for all the support it has given to business, sometimes risking accusations that it has gone to bed with business, the latter has not reciprocated. We are encouraged that dialogue between the two has resumed and it does seem to be underlined by a sense of urgency, given the economic challenges we face. This dialogue must continue even when there is no crisis.

Then there are the relations between labour and government and labour and business. The former have been somewhat manageable because of the political alliance between Cosatu and the ruling party. The recent issue on retirement benefits, and its postponement, is a case in point that these relations can be managed.

However, the same cannot be said about the relations between business and labour. The hostility, seen through violent and protracted strikes, is evident. For the country to resolve this, one proposes a new compact between business and labour where both parties would commit themselves to the national interest and in the process to agree to give and take.

There are certain minimums both parties must undertake. For business, it must acknowledge that for the past 22 years economic transformation has moved at a tortoise pace. In spite of the country's progressive labour laws, workers and the previously disadvantaged are still not getting a fair deal. South Africa remains one of the countries with the highest income inequalities. This does not bode well for future stability. The economic exclusion of the majority is a recipe for disaster and government cannot forever serve as a bulwark against the anger and frustration of the economically marginalized. Business must come to the party.

Labour on the other hand will have to commit to productivity. Recent statistics I was exposed to reveals that since 1967, output per worker per unit of capital in South Africa has fallen from R7 297 to R4 924 a year. That is a decline of some 32 percent. Any wonder why capital is not coming our way? Our labour force is uncompetitive and labour productivity is much lower than that of the rest of the developing world. To the extent that this is a problem of worker attitude, labour in both the public and private sectors must correct this. The fact is if business and labour do not address these fundamentals, this ship will not go very far before it hits the iceberg - if it hasn't already.

Then there is the issue of racism and racial division. We have our moments when we project a united front (for example, when we hosted the 2010 Soccer World Cup and when we laid Madiba to rest). But these short-lived moments of common nationhood are then followed by disappointing incidents of racism and racial anger.

For us to deal with racism, I believe we must all as a country be prepared to speak about it, however uncomfortable the subject may be. We must talk about it at home, at our schools, institutions of higher learning, in churches and mosques and in the workplace. But more than just talking about it, we must teach/promote those values that undermine or negate racism (e.g. equality, respect for the next person, human rights, and the commonness of humanity, among others).

Back to issues economic, it is common knowledge that the economic outlook does not look great. We are starring a possible ratings downgrade in the face.

Now, we need to be honest about our economic challenges. Whereas some have been occasioned by forces and factors beyond our control, there are some we have brought about ourselves. The firing of former Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene was a spectacular own goal.

Although President Jacob Zuma has since reversed the appointment of his preferred candidate and brought back Pravin Gordhan to the portfolio, the harm done to the economy is still being felt - not to mention the reputational damage to the Republic.

Given the exclusive prerogative of the President to appoint and fire Cabinet Ministers, and having seen how this prerogative, if not properly exercised, can cause damage to the country, one would suggest that it is probably time that checks and balances are introduced in terms of how this prerogative is exercised. And this should not be seen as something to deal with President Zuma the person. His own dismissal as deputy president a few years ago demonstrated how precarious this can be.

We would be best served as a democracy if we were to heed, instead of being emotional about it, the warning by Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke when he says the vast powers conferred by the Constitution to the President may not be the best way to serve our democratic project. "This uncanny concentration of power is a matter that, going forward, we may ignore - but only at our peril," he said in a speech at Unisa in 2014. The Nene saga has shown how deleterious the power to appoint and dismiss can be.

And yet in spite of all the challenges mentioned above, I believe that we as South Africans, united in our diversity and experiences, have the collective wisdom to tackle these problems. We have beaten the odds before and can do the same today.

We need to sing a new song and that is #South Africa must rise” it must rise from its economically situation, it must rise from its racism tendencies, it must rise from poor service delivery, it must rise from its discouragement, #South Africa must rise. We can dream again, we can unite again, we can have hope again.