Two dozen questions for the President

Captain Thomas Sankara, Leader of Burkino Faso

Dear President Ramaphosa,

I have two dozen questions for you, please feel free to answer them in the comments section below.

1. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have started new businesses, not simply borrowed money to buy into existing businesses, that were started before 1994 by rich white people?

2. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have used their connections to gather and obtain capital?

3. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have used their connections to secure and bring in work?

4. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have employed people according to the Basic Conditions?

5. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have employed people according to Employment Equity?

6. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have bought and received their supplies through Preferential Procurement?

7. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have structured their business, their deals and management, according to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment?

8. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have tendered for contracts and applied for concessions, in an ethical, honest, transparent and legal manner?

9. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have met all their bills and obligations on time and in full?

10. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have paid all of their taxes in full without any evasion?

11. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have invested in the development and training of their staff?

12. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have contributed to society through Responsible Social Investment?

13. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have not been involved in any scandal, crime or malfeasance?

14. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have not been accused of corruption or gross misconduct?

15. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have not flouted the Companies Act or the Codes of Good Corporate Governance?

16. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have not fallen short of the ideals of Black Economic Empowerment, that is that they haven’t simply sub-contracted white people, to do their work for them and to fulfil and satisfy their contracts?

17. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have been responsible, upstanding and credible corporate citizens?

18. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have been just defenders and advancers of the causes of gender equity and equality?

19. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have been effective agents of transformation and Africanism?

20. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have been recognised internationally as respectable South African businesses?

21. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have managed to keep their business open?

22. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have managed to grow their business in a legal manner?

23. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have managed to create a sustainable organizational culture for their business community?

24. Where are the success stories from Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment, that say the deserving beneficiaries as connected have managed to make a success of their business generally?

There aren’t any success stories like this, are there? Am I being racist in pointing this out? Is highlighting the failure of racist policies a type of counter-revolutionary racism? When will the African National Congress admit that their policies amount to little more than the recycling of the apartheid logic of racial reservation, that is the reservation for certain racial groups the opportunities presented by certain activities?

Mr President, Affirmative Action and Black Empowerment have failed. It is time for South Africa to prosper and it is time for South Africa to endure. Not some South Africans, not a few South Africans. South Africa. As a whole. If you feel that you cannot promote South Africa as a whole, and that you cannot empower South Africa as a whole, then the time has come to step down, to dissolve Parliament, to call elections and for the African National Congress to not contest these elections.

If however you have a plan to turn South Africa around so that we can actually say that Black, African, Non-White and Non-European South Africans are better off now than they were prior to 1994; and if this plan is something other than “borrow-and-spend” or “chow-the-money”; then by all means implement it and see what happens.

I obviously won’t pay for anything that is contrary to work, for example the behaviour of not working and the behaviour of expecting things for free, and anything that is not honest and that is not ethical, for example showing up for work but not doing sixteen hours of work in an eight hour shift for four hours pay. Naturally Dieuf Dieul (You Reap What You Sow) goes without saying, so that’s a firm and definite, “No” to corruption.

Other than that, I don’t expect South Africa to continue in the shut-down state that its currently in, unless of course, you don’t have a plan and you still intend to make it seem like you’re in office.

Naturally, the Coup de Tat last week was not televised, and while your real name is now Avish, not the stupid name it was previously, you do not have my authority. Please hasten yourself to turn the ship around and make South Africa something of which I can be proud. The alternative on hand is regime change. I am not joking.

Yours sincerely,

Avishkar Govender
Executive State President
Republic of South Africa