Strengthen SA Economy – Pule Mabe

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Opinion Piece by Pule Mabe – We need to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution in all avenues of our economy. We have learned from China how technology instead of taking jobs away creates more jobs.

Opinion Piece by Pule Mabe – We need to embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution in all avenues of our economy. We have learned from China how technology instead of taking jobs away creates more jobs.

As the most advanced economy in Africa and already being the gateway for Europe and America and now China into Africa we are set in a very strategic and advantageous position to increase our economy by being the catalyst for African development.

We need to speed up our infrastructure investments in road, railways and harbours as research proofs that our economy has saved billions in transport costs since the N1, N2 and N3 as well as N4 has been constructed.  We urgently need to look at railways as the cost by road for our mineral exports is harming our economy.

We need to cooperate more with the rest of Africa as Africa is the only continent where the population is still growing in contrast with Europe where the population is aging and declining rapidly as we speak and they are forced to use mostly African labour to augment their labour market.

We need to enhance the efforts by NEPAD to improve infrastructure as well in Africa as its is cheaper for Africa to import from South Africa if there are good roads. 

Through our contacts in NEPAD South Africa need we need to ensure bilateral knowledge and skills transfers which suit African conditions.

South Africa need to champion green energy solutions rapidly as our economy can’t grow with constant loadshedding.  Government need to enhance the adoption by households to use solar geysers as electrical geysers are one of the highest consumers of electricity in households. Governement need to on the short term make bigger rebates available to those who install solar geysers. It should be mandatory for all new houses in South Africa

Water treatment plants must be national priority and need to have a separate directorate to manage all water treatment plants and supply of potable water. Water licences are being abuse through lack of monitoring capacity something which our country and economy can ill afford at this moment. Too many local municipalities are lacking in executing their duties.

Immigration into South Africa from Africa needs to be encouraged and but the current atmosphere of zenophobia makes great African minds rather go to America instead of South Africa whilst many of them would prefer to come here if not for the.

Corruption is not only harming our economy but it gives the country a bad name and prevent Direct Foreign Investment into our economy. Changes need to be made to procurement in the public sector either through a central procurement office but there need to be a change of plans as the current system has failed our country.

South Africa need to enhance the South African Marketing Organisation and expand their workforce not long ago SaudiaArabia has signed a contract with Australia to supply sheep to their market whereas South Africa is in a better position and nearer to supply in this need, a lost opportunity for us. The Halaal market internationally is growing rapidly and South Africa need to capture share of this market as we have the infrastructure already in place.

Africa has 60% of unused arable land in the world and South African farmers need to ensure knowledge and skills transfer to assist the African farmers so that our agriculture is not only production based but knowledged base as well fitting into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

We need to reduce our dependency on foreign imported fuel and need to rapidly increase the uptake in electrical vehicles.  The price of fuel is hampering our agricultural sector.

Our National Development Plan needs to have a full time secretariat which will develop anticipatory governance requirements.  This secretariat will work with all government agencies involved in data collection as we were caught offguardregarding the recent floods in KZN. 

Our security response to what happened in July 2021 needs to be enhanced. Our country lost billions in infrastructure and allied losses.

The Universal grant as anticipated need to be fastwarded as it will pump in millions into the economy. 

Agricultural opportunities for black farmers are not even making a dent in the huge number of black farmers out there who can make a difference but for lack of finance and government support. This needs to be addressed urgently as it creates jobs for our people.

Internet access we know increases the growth of the economy by 1% for every 10 percent penetration into the population.  Already other African countries has benefitted from enhanced access to internet South African companies has provided in Kenia or Nigeria etc.

Pule Mabe is an ANC NEC member and Spokesperson 

Human rights activist

ANC calls for an end to Russia-Ukraine conflict
Image: Dinilohlanga Mekuto [FILE PHOTO] ANC spokesperson, Pule Mabe speaks to the media.

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