Like last year, 2021 has been a year that has tested many people. The Covid-19 pandemic, despite being on the retreat, is still with us and continues to take lives and destroy livelihoods. Eskom continues to tilt closer to collapse, despite the efforts of some of its employees, hampered by nefarious elements at the state utility. These blackouts, along with the degradation of the country’s railways and other infrastructure, continue to impact the quality of life of all South Africans, pushing many of those who are in the position to emigrate closer to making the decision to do so.
Law and order also seems fragile, underscored by the riots of July, which saw over 300 people killed and billions of rand lost in the destruction that occurred, further hampering the country’s economy.
Further afield world peace is probably more fragile than at any other time since the height of the Cold War. China is growing increasingly assertive and a full invasion of Taiwan in the next few years is now a real possibility. The Middle Kingdom is also threatening other neighbours, with border clashes with India becoming relatively common. This is to say nothing of the growing fear of other countries, such as Vietnam, of an expansionist China.
Europe is also seeing growing tensions between itself and Russia, with an armed conflict also a growing possibility. A full Russian invasion of Ukraine, with all the consequences of that action, is also now firmly within the realm of possibility. A full-scale conventional war in Europe may well escape the pages of a Tom Clancy novel and migrate to the front pages of next week’s newspapers.
But coming back to South Africa who (or what) was the Hero of the Year and who (or what) was the Failure of the Year?
The Hero of the Year was the ordinary South African. During the July unrest it was ordinary South Africans (of all races) who stood together to help protect lives and property after the government and its security forces abandoned citizens to their fate. Of course, there were many instances of dedicated police officers standing with ordinary South Africans to defend, lives, livelihoods, and property.
Ordinary South Africans (or at least the ordinary South African voter) also came to the rescue in November. For the first time in democratic South Africa the ANC won under 50% in a nationwide vote and were brought below 50% (or lost outright) in a swathe of municipalities across the country. Even though the party is still by some distance the biggest party in the country it must know that it has now been put on notice by voters. The days of the ANC bestriding South African politics, like an unshakable colossus, are numbered.
And that brings us to the Failure of the Year, which is the ANC and the government which it leads.
The ANC seems to have simply run out of energy. It is also out of ideas and out of talent. Very little in the way of innovative policy or new ideas have emerged from the party for some time. Even when policy does emerge from the party – such as Tito Mboweni’s economic reform proposals from a few years ago – these are soon get forgotten about and gather dust in some forgotten office at the Union Buildings or Luthuli House.
And the fact that, policy-wise, the party seems to be stuck in the doldrums has real consequences for South Africans. Recently released unemployment statistics showed that the proportion of unemployed South Africans has reached new highs. On the expanded definition nearly half of all South Africans are unemployed, with all that means for their dignity and ability to provide for themselves and their families.
This is to say nothing of the policy failures on other fronts, such as energy, education, and infrastructure.
The ANC is a richly deserving first recipient of the TDF’s first Failure of the Year Award. And on current trends it would take a brave man to bet against the party winning the award again next year.
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