SA's economic policies under the spotlight at KKNK

South Africa's economic policies and the state of the economy was placed under the spotlight at the Klein Karoo National Arts festival today. A panel discussion at the festival had a look at the problems facing the economy and what the possible way forward is.

Andries Bezuidenhout from Wits University says South Africa's liberalisation of the economy is having a detrimental effect on the political changes and the integration of society. He says the deregulation of the agriculture industry in the country is a good example of this.

Meanwhile, Cosatu says the economy plays a key role in the current crisis of unemployment and that changes are necessary.

Cosatu's Western Cape Provincial Secretary Tony Ehrenreich says: "We must change policy, we must change the way in which the ANC must operate. We must change the way our people relate to the changes in our country. They must be the agents ... so it’s not about comrade Zuma as an individual – it’s about the project of rebuilding the ANC and rebuilding our country."

Rachel Japhta from the University of Stellenbosch says that despite the longest upward spiral in the economy in our history, there seems to be consensus that the man in the street is not feeling the growth.