Key topics:
- Charity helps but does not address South Africa’s systemic political failures.
- Funding opposition and policy groups is key to real, lasting change.
- ANC mismanagement fuels poverty, making charity an endless cycle.
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By Rob Hersov – Capitalist Activist
Charitable giving is seen as a noble and moral duty.
Many of us donate to NGOs, support local charities, and engage in random acts of kindness (RAKs) to help those in need.
While this generosity is admirable, it does little to fix the root causes of poverty and suffering in South Africa.
With the Trump administration having put USAID on hold, the world is beginning to see the often corrupt and inefficient nature of foreign aid. This moment should make us reflect on our own charitable efforts and whether they are genuinely solving problems or merely providing a temporary bandage.
South Africa has a long tradition of charitable organizations working to alleviate poverty, provide healthcare, and support education. However, decades of ANC rule have entrenched systemic problems that charity alone cannot fix.
Instead of empowering individuals, ANC policies have created a dependent, struggling underclass while politicians and their connected cadres continue to enrich themselves.
Many well-intentioned donations effectively subsidize the ANC’s failures, allowing them to continue their destructive socialist policies. Rather than addressing the core issues, charities often focus on mitigating the symptoms of ANC misrule—while the ruling party laughs all the way to the bank.
In today’s South Africa:
- The ANC continues to implement race-based economic policies that discourage investment and economic growth.
- Government corruption and inefficiency remain rampant, with billions wasted annually on failed projects and mismanagement.
- Many South Africans give generously to charity but fail to support political or policy-driven organizations that could bring real change.
- Internationally, scepticism about foreign aid is growing, with more people questioning whether it helps or merely perpetuates dependency.
In a failing state, charity alone cannot be the solution. Every cent given to charity is money that could have gone to supporting political parties and organizations that are actively fighting to fix the country. While charity makes donors feel good, it does not remove the ANC kleptocrats and incompetents in power.
- South Africa spends over R250 billion annually on social grants, yet poverty and unemployment continue to rise.
- The ANC has mismanaged over R1.5 trillion through corruption and waste in the last decade.
- Despite billions in charitable donations, service delivery has declined due to government incompetence.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF+), and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) all struggle with funding while the ANC benefits from state resources.
Pro-democracy organizations such as the Free Market Foundation (FMF), Institute of Race Relations (IRR), AfriForum, Solidariteit and other superb civil institutions play a critical role in educating voters and advocating for better policies—but they need financial support.
In the 2021 municipal elections, the ANC received 46% of votes despite widespread dissatisfaction, largely because opposition parties lacked the funding to compete effectively.
I firmly believe that political change, not charity, is the only way to fix South Africa’s structural problems. And if the ANC remains in power, no amount of charitable giving will prevent continued economic decline. International studies show that political engagement is more effective than philanthropy when it comes to long-term societal improvement.
Countries with strong political opposition and policy-driven organizations tend to experience more sustainable economic growth.
South Africa’s largest charitable organizations receive millions in donations, yet the number of people needing aid continues to grow due to bad governance. Yet research indicates that funding opposition parties and policy think tanks/civil society is more effective in driving systemic change than direct charitable donations.
If South Africans redirect charitable giving towards political change, opposition parties could fund stronger campaigns, attract more voters, and challenge the ANC’s dominance; think tanks like the FMF and IRR could expand their voter education programs and push for better policies; and economic policies could shift towards growth, job creation, and reduced government interference.
However, if South Africans continue prioritizing charity over political change, then the ANC will remain in power, continuing to mismanage the country; charitable organizations will remain overwhelmed as poverty and unemployment rise; and, the country’s economic decline will accelerate, increasing the need for charity rather than reducing it……….
The choice is clear: do we continue putting a bandage on the problem, or do we fund real solutions?
Donating to charity makes us feels good, but if we truly want to help South Africa, we must invest in political change and policy advocacy.
Read also:
- 🔒 RW Johnson – After 17 destructive years, ANC’s needless suicide taking SA economy with it
- Terry Booysen: Reverse SA’s bleak picture, digitise governance
- ANC’s renewal is empty rhetoric: Katzenellenbogen
