Wayne Duvenage: “I have a dream for SA in 2017…”

OUTA chairperson Wayne Duvenage is no stranger to Biznews. Having left the comforts of his Avis desk in 2012, he’s been championing change in South Africa, with an arrow aimed squarely at the misuse of State funds. And what initially started out as a defiance against e-tolls in Gauteng, has become an organisation solely focused on undoing tax abuse. This is his dream for South Africa in 2017. – Stuart Lowman

By Wayne Duvenage*

To consciously dream, is to imagine the possibility of good things and a better world for oneself, our families and all dear to us.

But today, I care not to dwell on the fact that we have a massive problem in South Africa. Our government leadership’s greed, corruption and self-enrichment has been devastating. Enough has been said about the topic and virtually everyone of a reasonable adult mindset knows about it. Our nation is suffering and along with it, our spirit of ubuntu is diminishing.

As a nation we know that we can and must do more, if we are to stave off the retardation of our prosperity and our national pride.

But imagining the change we so desperately seek, somehow gives the impression that what we desire is beyond our reach. When imagining a better environment that enables and enhances our national prosperity, we tend to feel helpless. “It’s out of our hands” is the expression oft provided by those who give the slightest thought to the question.

Fortunately, this is not so, because that which we have imagined in a better country, has started to happen. The world is filled with change brought about by the will of the people and lately, more and more South Africans are beginning to get a sense of their power to change the status quo. Hope is turning into reality.

Amazingly it is easier to do than one imagines, because all it takes is to enable and support the civil action organisations, religious bodies and good politicians who are effective and geared to drive accountability and good governance, aside from the periodic political election space. The same organisations that stood up to protect the false charges against a good Minister of Finance and others. The same one’s that have raised more challenges against those who abuse their positions of authority.

It’s called effective civil intervention, which happens when people get down to actually tackling the scourge of corruption and waste in South Africa. This is the process known as ‘current democracy’, one that addresses the necessary change in behaviour required today, as opposed to waiting for another election to come around.

The dream I have for South Africa in 2017 is that more people will do something about that which we can imagine. My dream is that as a collective diverse nation of amazing people, we will constructively set out to:

• Retrace the path of our destiny and belief that Madiba so gracefully cut for us.
• Tackle the serious issues of discrimination based on race, gender or sexual orientation, whilst wasting not a minute more on the trivial errors, mishaps and meaningless discussions that arise on these topics from time to time.
• Set high standards for those in the public service, who chose a profession of leading and serving their nation. Our governing authorities need to be reminded why their jobs exist and who pays their salaries.
• Refuse to see our hard won freedom be removed from us through deteriorating education, security and health systems that continuously fail the people.
• Refuse to become a nation captivated by hand-outs and grants and instead, we demand an economic environment that attracts investment, employment and growth.
• Replace actions that focus on short-term corporate profits, with a business culture and behaviour that strives for long term national growth, prosperity and pride.
• Most importantly, hold to account those in authority, who waste, squander and embezzle our hard earned national revenue, by doing so in person or by supporting civil intervention entities that can and do this work on behalf of society.

This is the South African dream I have had for some years now, and it is a dream that is taking shape. It is one that has stirred with new awakenings in recent times and it is a dream that will generate very real outcomes of heightened prosperity in 2017.

While the road is long, (dare I add in “with many a winding turn”), my dream is that resilience, focus and a renewed determination for a better South Africa, will be at the forefront of our actions going forward.

• Wayne Duvenage is the chairperson at OUTA