Immigrant Protests – South Africa Does Not Have an Illegal Immigrant Problem

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As South Africa heads into a tense week of potential protests and the inevitable violence that often accompanies such protests. This is a critical juncture at which the whole African continent needs to perhaps stop and take stock.

The narrative and the framing around the current unhappiness in South Africa have been shaped as one of illegal immigration and unemployment. 

And certainly, the fact that unemployment in Africa’s largest economy is one of the highest globally and that unemployment in younger age groups is around 50%, should be enough for a major effort to be undertaken to fix this. No other motivation is needed – this must be corrected. 

But to blame the lack of jobs on illegal immigrants is however off target

Where the conversation must shift to is this: 

• South Africa does not have an unemployment problem, rather it has an employment creation and business policy problem
• And South Africa does not have an illegal immigrant problem, rather it has a corruption problem

This shift in Narrative is as important as dealing with the core issues – Without this, the negative momentum will not change, and the unemployment situation will only grow.

Why South Africa Needs a New Narrative?

South Africa has only achieved an average of around 1% growth over the last few years despite massive amounts of additional debt and capital being deployed. The failure of such vast amounts to stimulate growth and create more jobs should be the big conversations being held by concerned citizens rather than those of illegal immigration. 

• Capital needs to be used effectively to create the infrastructure and systems that should make it easier for business to start, thrive and grow. There are big growth opportunities today with the African Free Trade agreement starting to impact and without proper use of capital to support this – the country will miss the opportunity to build more employment around this.
  • Governments do not have the capacity and expertise to build businesses or create jobs. The entrepreneurs and small business owners are those who can help accelerate job creation and the growth of the economy, which in-turn provides a wider tax base that will help the country grow further if used wisely. These are the people who should also be supported with better policies in helping and not obstructing business owners in doing what they do best – building businesses and the associated job creation that goes alongside this growth.
• South Africa has highly restrictive policies for businesses that urgently need to change. There is a strong correlation between the ever-growing layers of restrictive regulations and the rapid de industrialization of South Africa – once the manufacturing capital of Africa.

Accountability Must be The New Standard

The failure of government in the correct deployment of capital raises the second issue – That is the endemic corruption that has grown at every level of government in South Africa. This, in turn, has allowed the illegal flow of capital to corrupt networks of politically connected persons, instead of achieving the desired result of improved infrastructure and services. This is unfortunately not something that is unique to South Africa – and is a global problem, however the extent of it in the country has become a crisis. It has further corrupted the law-and-order arms of public services who seem to serve the interests of the corrupt rather than that of the citizens of the country. This corruption has further allowed the free flow of illegal immigrants into the country.

Importantly, this is also where the citizens of South Africa need to start holding themselves accountable. They have consistently re-elected political parties and officials who have failed and brazenly abused their position to enrich themselves and their networks. Additionally, it is these parties who have created an environment where every level of government has embedded corruption and an environment of unaccountability and no consequences for failures.

Unless ethical behaviour and efficient and effective delivery becomes the currency that decides if a political party or official is re-elected or keeps their job – the current cesspool of politics and authorities will not change. When consecutive presidents can effectively bend the rules to evade prosecution of alleged criminal behavior, the country must respond and correct the course or future presidents and others in positions of authority will continue to behave in the same manner.

Citizenship With Purpose and Accountability

It is the citizens of South Africa themselves, who must first hold themselves accountable for the ongoing failures of government, and then they all need to raise their hand to vote for a society that does not compromise on ethical standards, and one which holds authorities accountable for their behaviour or failures and ensures that conditions are optimal for job creation. 

It is time for accountability and ethics to be the cause that people are protesting for – the businesspeople in the country will then be enabled to build the jobs and economy that society is calling for.