Plaatjie Mashego: Time to shift from complaining to building a new South Africa

Key topics:

• Emphasizing the need for a new narrative about South Africa’s future.
• Criticizing government policies and interference in the economy.
• Advocating for a united front to support capitalism and the unemployed.

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By Plaatjie Mashego*

I keep on saying that there is a need to begin to project a new image of this country. We must no longer waste our time and scarce resources by complaining about the ANC and this government. Let’s embrace a solution that I keep on putting on the table: betting on the unemployed is the only way for us to eventually vote the ANC out of power. We are truly wasting our energies, time and resources, trying to make sense to people who are not even interested in what we are saying or what we are complaining about. Ignorance reigns supreme in them.

We have always been hoping, that common sense would eventually triumph. Numerous concerns continue to be raised regarding government interference in the economy. This action has resulted in the over-regulation of the market, the passing of bad policies, such as BBBEE, EE, expropriation of land without compensation, the white monopoly capitalism rhetoric that continues to flood the social media space, NHI, etc. And today, it’s about this government thinking it is playing another Mandela. That it can simply interfere, and influence global politics. They have been siding with the communists, openly joining BRICS, interfering in the Israel – Palestine issue. In fact, I must say that interference is in their blood. Even in places where they are not required to do so. All this is done, in the name of South Africa. When they know, for a fact, that it’s only them alone doing all this. I can count them, it’s a handful of them. The ANC, EFF, MK, SACP, PAC, AZAPO, their lapdogs, such as political analysts, armchair politicians, confused academics, and a few funded NGOs. Ordinary South Africans, including unemployed people, are not part of this. This time, they took the wrong turn, and it has backfired on everyone. There is an old saying, ‘the chickens have come home to roost’. 

Now with the USA sanctions looming against SA, every one of those morons wants to use AfriForum as a scapegoat. They are pointing their fingers at the wrong people for their intended actions. AfriForum is now the bad guys, with all sorts of racial insults imaginable hurled against them.  At the time, when AfriForum stood behind the Meyiwa family, in the highly controversial case, they all cheered. But when concerns were raised regarding farm killings, they turned a blind eye and chose to use the race card. We need to realise that in this country, our voices continue to be represented by those whom we do not jell well, with their ideological position. They are a small group of amateur leftists with the capacity to lead the rest of us in a black hole – a vortex. We must take a bold stand towards this. Their Chinese and Russian friends cannot be our friends. And they are not even friends with unemployed people either. The Chinese and Russians are the last people that unemployed people can rely on for job opportunities. It is only through Capitalism that job opportunities can be created. It’s better that evil you know (Capitalism) than that you don’t know (Communism). As South Africa, we don’t even need to try Communism. 

My argument is that proponents of free markets need to stand united, regardless of race, to defend our country. As I always say, the Unemployed People’s Party has gone a step further, committing itself to contest future elections and unseat the ANC out of power once and for all. This is an opportunity that presents itself, to all of us. Instead of whining about the current state of affairs in this country, here is an opportunity to rebuild South Africa once and for all.

Read also:

• SA’s unemployed reject ANC’s socialism – Plaatjie Mashego
• Wietze Post (pt. 2): Eskom’s loss – South Africa’s gain? Eskom’s energy market shift – consequences
• SITA R1.4bn crisis: Unpaid bills, governance failures, ministerial probe

*Plaatjie Mashego is an analyst on unemployment and founder of the Unemployed People’s Party.