South Africa’s Descent into Digital Chaos: Ramaphosa’s "Tech-Led" Agenda
As President Cyril Ramaphosa’s seventh administration limps along, his latest address to parliament has revealed a disturbing lack of vision and direction. His promises to "turn South Africa into a construction site" and "position the country as a major player in the digital economy" are nothing more than empty words, masking a deep-seated failure to address the country’s fundamental problems.
The Fibre Fiasco
Ramaphosa’s emphasis on "fibre" as a key driver of job creation is laughable, given the state of South Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure. The use of "fibre" interchangeably with construction is a thinly veiled attempt to conceal the government’s lack of understanding of the industry. The Digital Council Africa has been warning about the dangers of under-investment in broadband for years, and Ramaphosa’s words are a slap in the face to those who have been fighting for better connectivity.
Crime and Corruption
The president’s promise to "combat fraud" and "bolster South Africa’s financial intelligence ecosystem" is a joke, given the widespread corruption that has plagued the country for decades. The drive towards greater industrialisation through infrastructure development is nothing more than a recipe for disaster, given the corrosive elements of vandalism and crime that are eating away at the very fabric of society.
Local Government: The Bane of South Africa’s Existence
Ramaphosa’s mention of local government as an area that could benefit from "harnessing digital public infrastructure" is a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the real problems facing the country. The red tape and bureaucratic inefficiencies that plague local government are a major obstacle to economic growth, and the president’s words are nothing more than a hollow promise to "simplify and speed up planning and regulatory processes".
The Real Agenda
Behind the empty rhetoric and buzzwords, Ramaphosa’s "tech-led" agenda is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to distract from the country’s deep-seated problems. The real agenda is to line the pockets of corrupt officials and cronies, while the country descends further into chaos and decay. It’s time for South Africans to wake up and demand real change, rather than settling for empty promises and half-baked solutions.
