There are certain events that are on South Africa’s calendar and they form part and parcel of the yearly routine. So routine are those events that citizens would practically find it impossible to distinguish this year’s installment from previous years. Among those routine events is the State of the Nation address; traditionally delivered in the second week of February. This annual opening of parliament is a forum through which the President gives an indication regarding the priorities that government wishes to put on the national agenda. This is done by way of painting a picture as to the state of things in the country.In some years it would not matter if the President did not deliver the State of the Nation address because the routinised nature of this event tends to shield from attention the peculiar challenges accoutered each year. As everyone in the country undertakes activities for year 2012, however, there is a stark need for the President to deliver a picture as to exactly what is the state of this nation we are part of. The background against which President Jacob Zuma would deliver the 2012 State of the Nation address is demands a particular approach in which this to year’s address need to be delivered. The President needs to reassure citizens that they should continue to have confidence in this nation. The 2012 State of the Nation address comes against the background of political and economic wilderness that South Africans find themselves in. This does not necessarily mean that everything in the country is falling apart; it is however necessary to acknowledge that the past 12 months have been quite turbulent, in terms of economic, social, and political developments in the country. The President has to therefore pronounce as to whether he and his administration are on the same page as the South Africans regarding certain developments, or lack of, in the country.
The 2012 State of the Nation address comes against the background of political and economic wilderness that South Africans find themselves in.
The State of the Nation should not be entirely about an outline of the entire government programme as to how to deal with problems encountered. The address should also be seen as a platform through which the president takes the nation into confidence and share his assessment of the state of things in the nation. It is therefore not about what’s coming forth, but rather a picture as to whether there is a clear awareness as to where the nation is at this point in time. It is only through a shared awareness of the state of affairs that there exists an opportunity to forge a way forward. One of the most pressing questions that need to be talked about is the state of the provincial administrations in the country. Thus, what exactly is the financial and subsequently the administrative position of provinces as spheres of government? The administrative capability of provincial governments impact upon local government structures; whose powers are dependent and also partially ceded from provincial sphere of government. In a sense, President Zuma should share with the nation what is his assessment of provincial governments, majority of which are under the ANC control. The recent intervention by the national government in Limpopo Province may trigger a mudslide in terms of the need for such kind of interventions in other provinces that happen to be in a similar financial position.
While the President may not be in a position to outline a grand plan to deal with the challenge of ailing provincial administrations, his assessment of the current state of affairs in provinces – particularly the administrative capacity of provinces – will indicate whether there is a need for a grand plan or merely ad hoc approach such as that being as rolled out in Limpopo Province. The problem that South Africa has in the public sector has little to do with availability of resources but rather more about how to manage available resources. Reports by the Auditor General on various spending agencies in the public sector indicate that while there is some level of awareness within state agencies that they need to comply with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), there is still high level of reluctance when it comes to putting in place the necessary internal control system to guard against misuse of public funds. It is through internal control system including proper procurement guidelines that some level of assurance may exist to that public finds are spent properly. A few ministers have recently fallen to the lure of a lax approach to procurement within the departments. This has seen the suspension of the Police Chief, Bheki Cele, and the dismissal of the then Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Sicelo Shiceka, respectively. No President would take pride in dismissing people he or she willingly appointed to his cabinet. President Jacob Zuma has had to release his comrades after they embarrassed him by failing to adhere to acceptable standards when it comes to the use of public funds. Is this situation with the fallen ministers an isolated case or a growing trend that need to be thoroughly monitored? Deputy Economic Development Minister, Enoch Godongwana, has recently vacated his position amidst rumor that he is involved in the disappearance of R 100-million invested by the SA Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union. For a cabinet member responsible for Economic Development portfolio, this does not paint a good picture of the state of this nation! President Jacob Zuma seems to be losing ministers quite rapidly. A question then arises as to whether the president’s executive can be said to be in a position to fight the scourge of unemployment, a responsibility that is evidently falling on government as the private sector is contracting. Conversely, the President could be intolerant of mediocrity and malfeasance; hence he is presiding over the highest number of cabinet turnover seen in recent years. Government is under pressure to assure South Africans that it takes job creation seriously. With the ailing government departments characterized by qualified audits, the ability of the public sector to alleviate the problem of unemployment would be severely undermined. At this point in time, the nation requires a straight talk and the State of the Nation address cannot remain in the confines of a routinised yearly installment in which accolades are announced. The President has to address the nation on pertinent issues and his silence about those issues would certainly be deafening. Again, the State of the Nation address is an opportunity for the president to step out of his political home and address the nation, and if need be, the President has to have a hard talk with his comrades as their actions or omissions contribute significantly to the state of this nation.
– By ANALYSIS: Ralph Mathekga
