Examining Zuma's grand plan of tackling the problem of unemployment

I have been most curious to find out how the Zuma government intend tackling the problem of unemployment, given its populist rhetoric and what we know to be empty promises to the poor. Jacob Zuma has come out to outline exactly how his government intends dealing with the scourge of unemployment. A problem we all appreciate and acknowledge needs extraordinary but prudent measures to address. It is shocking that Jacob Zuma, along with the Alliance parasites, intends turning government into an employment agency.

Zuma said: “The government should play a more active role in job creation, directly through the public service. We therefore envisage the expansion of public sector employment.”

Someone must have forgotten to inform Zuma that the majority of those he intends employing in his government are illiterate and unskilled. The private sector has, for a number of years, been generating a considerable number of jobs, for which there is shortage of skilled individuals. The private sector cannot be faulted for not playing its role in job creation. Our economy has become more service-oriented than industrial-oriented and requires a particular set of skills to propel its wheels. The Mbeki government had done an excellent job in creating an environment that was conducive to business expanding and generating jobs. Unfortunately, government had not done enough to improve the quality of education and eliminate illiteracy. The primary role of government is not to create jobs but to cultivate a fertile environment for business to create jobs.

As part of this cultivation of a fertile environment for creation of jobs and eradication of poverty, the Mbeki government launched in 2003 the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), which focused on labour intensive projects already anticipated within the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) as a measure to deal with the problem of high unemployment. A considerable number of jobs have been created; about 500 000 jobs each year. The challenge of halving unemployment by 2014 has become more pronounced by the current global crisis and forecasted economic growth of 3% in 2009. Economic growth is essential for any meaningful job creation and eradication of poverty. Does Zuma not recognise programmes already in place?

The proposal by Jacob Zuma to beef up the public service and expand the bureaucracy in order to address the problem of unemployment is unintelligent and lacks forethought. The economic growth forecast has been revised downward for 2009 and may continue at such uninspiring levels into 2010; and to grow the size of the public service given the state of the economy would be ill-advised. Perhaps this is just but one of Zuma’s populist utterances intended to woo voters. Public service should only grow in proportion to the growth of the economy in order to meet the increased demands imposed by changing economic circumstances.

It would be interesting to know whether the ANC had considered the negative impact of bloated bureaucracy on effective and efficient service delivery. A bloated public service would only be steeped in mediocrity and political cronyism. Already top government positions are exclusively reserved for ANC officials and the expansion of public service would perpetuate the exclusion of non-aligned applicants.

Government departments are generally cesspools of lazy public officials who have no regard for the urgency of delivering service to the majority of our people. How would Director-Generals, who are failing to manage and run their departments, cope with an increased staff complement?

What Zuma is proposing is a fertile environment for corruption and inefficiency to flourish. One can only conclude that the reason for the public service to not have expanded in line with Zuma’s vision was primarily to support the empowerment initiatives where certain services were procured from the general public. A noble attempt by government to support enterprise development and introduce previously disadvantaged and aspiring entrepreneurs to mainstream economy. However, corruption has been endemic to the procurement process despite “preventative” measures put in place. Is the Zuma government going to forego the preferential procurement pillar of BEE but expect the private sector to comply?

Even popular democracies such as Venezuela are moving towards a leaner public service after the realisation that bloated bureaucracy does not serve the interests of the general public. In Venezuela the fattening public service had stoked inflation and impact on the very poor people as it thwarted economic growth and exacerbated poverty. It is important for those making policy pronouncements to rather engage their minds before opening their mouths and raising false hopes.

Gwede Mantashe, contrary to Zuma’s populist claptrap, confirmed that policies implemented by government would change. It would be ideal that the ANC clearly outlines which policies of government they intend changing to allow investors and voters to make their own judgment on the prudence of such moves.