Ever since that historic emergence  of Nelson Mandela from nearly three decades of incarceration, the peaceful transformation into majority rule and the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings, the world has had a Love Affair with South Africa and its People. Mandela –Mania has continued to this day, being seen as representing forgiveness, reconciliation, lasting peace and national unity not seen since the formation of the United Nations after 1945.

The adoption of an ultra-liberal Constitution, which provided a promise of a just and humane society was further hope that the post-independent dictatorships and demagogues in post colonial Africa, were a thing of the past and that South Africa was the new hope for a continent fraught with conflicts, political instability, poverty and perennial under-development; hence the Love Affair with the Rainbow Nation since 1994.

The road ahead still required attestation that this “experiment” would work; that a previously deeply divided people, could live together in peace and harmony. More significantly, in the wake of the truce of the Cold War between East and West and the dismantling of Communism as a viable system of government, that the economic interests of the West would be maintained, INTACT. Since South Africa possesses some of the most valuable mineral deposits in the world; gold, diamonds platinum and uranium, these had to be protected at all cost.

So, with Mandela in place at the helm preaching the gospel of reconciliation, the much admired Constitution was adopted, guaranteeing safety of all that was precious to Western civilisation – capitalism-with all its symbols in the form of precious metals and minerals; universal suffrage, democracy and individual liberties being the reward. These were very noble aspirations, but the ugly side of capitalism; that of economic inequality and exploitation would defy even Nelson Mandela and his noble intentions. The ANC and Nationalist Party truce was designed to put the world at ease that the African majority were not about to revolt against the comfort zone of Western economic interests and that this new African democracy was ready to do business “on their terms.”  

Without doubt, South Arica’s Constitution and ANC agenda are doing just that and have managed to keep the Love Affair fire burning. But one cannot help wondering whether South Africa has moved from a country that can do no wrong, the “Golden Beacon” at the tip of the Dark Continent, to a shadow of its former self.

In recent years, since the fall of Thabo Mbeki, the rise of dissent among the ANC Youth League Leadership, the demands from the working class for promises and expectations not met; has the Love Affair with all things South African diminished as the underlying crack in South Africa’s divided past rears its proverbial ugly head? Was the world and indeed South Africa’s population, looking at the situation and the time it would take to transform 300 years of turmoil, through rose tinted glasses?

Transformation of the magnitude required in South Africa is not do-able in two decades, or even three. The Love Affair needs to be built on something deeper than superficial changes. Since 1994, South Africa has been obsessed with how the world looks at her rather than constantly reviewing its domestic performance on the popularity scale. Nation Brand Equity has a responsibility to start from within. Lack of social cohesion and unfulfilled expectations need to be managed with care, rather than taken for granted, because they are a consequence of national policies, not an entitlement.

“Mandela-Mania” is without a doubt, on shaky ground for South Africa’s working class. There is an amazing resilience and determination though, to keep the golden beacon as bright as possible, to the point of assuming paternalistic guardianship of the sanctity of our democracy. South Africa’s ability to uphold democratic principles has become infectious all over the continent. Citizens of other African countries are making demands to their leaders as they realise that the benefits of political independence must include economic self-determination as its core benefit. Prosperity, civil liberties and the equitable distribution of wealth are a given.

It is an opportunity for a new type of Love Affair with the rest of the world, an opportunity to recognise South Africa’s role as the “minder” of social and political stability on the continent South of the Sahara. The nineteenth century strategy of divide and rule is historically obsolete as a means of control and quiet coercion of African Nations by Western economic interests. Similarly, the idea that Western economic interests can only be maintained at the expense of the indigenous African citizenry is a fallacy.  The Arab Spring of 2010-2012 is testament to the failure of this policy.

In recent months, South African miners have gone on a relentless five month strike, that has seen the value of the Rand fall to its all time low, and the downgrading of South Africa’s economic outlook from critical to negative. In essence, miners and the country’s mineral wealth on which the country was built and fought over, have brought capitalist greed to its knees. If this is not a clear indication that the game plan needs to change, to ensure a more equitable distribution of the benefits of our mineral wealth, South Africa is heading for a fate worse than Zimbabwe. The results of the national elections of 7th May 2014, have seen the ANC holding on to power by the skin of their teeth. The results are perhaps an indication that the Rainbow is losing its promise of harmony and prosperity.

What of South Africa’s inclusion in the BRIC Consortium? Is this an indication of a new courtship and therefore Love Affair in the making, signifying a shift from traditional relationships based on participation and membership on “our own terms”? Undoubtedly, Mandela’s courtship with the West has brought little change or transformation in South Africa’s traditionally oppressive industrial base. The Marikana massacre unleashed a sleeping giant festering in poverty and degradation, whilst submitting to the illusion that Western investment into the exploitation of natural resources will be withdrawn should the terms of engagement be modified or be inclusive.

South Africa has fallen for this form of blackmail hook-line and sinker. South Africa’s miners should be rewarded at the same rate as Australian miners, who are reported to earn $400 a shift, as opposed to South Africa’s $40 a shift. There is no reasonable explanation for this disparity, apart from capitalist exploitation, pure and simple. Even the much publicised Oscar Pistorius murder trial, has revealed the weaknesses and cracks in South African society; our love affair with guns, the “besieged” mentality of the privileged White Afrikaaner male mentality and the inequality in the criminal justice system, where access to swift and fair justice are a prerogative of money and privilege.

South Africa is still in the “Love” game, but with different partners and on her own terms. South Africa’s agenda to attract investment at any cost, can only be justified if it is an expression of the self determination of her people. There is still a virtue in standing up for the noble ideals, which Nelson Mandela bravely declared at his Treason Trial and we, the Children of the Rainbow Nation, are determined to stand for these ideals too, come hell or high water.

Western Nations met again in Davos earlier this year, one wonders what South Africa had to offer in the wake of the miner’s strike. Sure, we have the much applauded National Development Plan and our very own Billionaire, Cyril Ramaphosa. But is this enough to convince the population that finally, our long awaited democracy is working for us; or has the 1994 promise replaced one élite with another; the majority still scrambling for crumbs?

The British Labour Party has declared an onslaught on what they call “the standard of living crisis.” The Party has provided PRACTICAL solutions of how the problem can be tackled. The success of the plan will be tested should they have a five year term, WITHIN the five year term. A plan that does not have a time-scale, is not a plan. What is South Africa’s time scale? 2030 has been mentioned in the NDP. Major structural changes are required in order to come even close to achieving the NDP objectives. A critical component of this change is to ensure accountability by those whose job it is to drive the vehicle of change. I fear we are heading on the downward slope of Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, by saying one thing and doing another, with no accountability for promises unfulfilled.

If recent Western Media coverage of South Africa as a country in turmoil, fraught with civil strife, strikes, state sanctioned violence, corruption and political disenchantment are to be taken at face value, clearly, the Western World’s Love Affair with South Africa is over. But is this the end of the world as we know it? South Africa is part of the African continent and Harold Macmillan’s “wind of change” is only blowing on this continent as of NOW. We need to define our success and our way of doing things to benefit us first and foremost. After-all, Western economies are in deep trouble.

David Cameron visited India last year (and is even flirting with China), extending a begging bowl to Indian growth and prosperity. How things have changed! Not long ago, during my lifetime, Indians were persona non grata in the U.K. The tables have turned and Indians are being invited back (obviously with strings attached). Without Africa and certainly without South Africa, Western economies cannot enjoy uninterrupted prosperity. South Africa’s strategic and economic significance for Western countries is as relevant now as it was in the days of Vasco da Gama. The route round the Cape of Good Hope is still the most reliable route to India. South Africa is now a member of the BRIC countries, of which India is also a member (hence BRICS now).

There is a new economic order taking over the world. The Japanese Yen has had to devalue as its economy dithers slightly, as all mature economies are, in varying degrees of severity. It is now OUR time and we must grab it with both hands. We need to widen our industrial market base to include more emerging markets. Minerals are all very well, but they are finite and their value is erratic and controlled elsewhere (in the West). Mineral Beneficiation is hugely expensive and requires huge investment (although not to be ruled out). On the other hand, if we invest in education and skills; electronics, technology, financial service industries (because we already have a solid infrastructure in this area), agri-business, tourism and the like, growth is guaranteed by the time the “born frees” are thirty. The market is on our very own doorstep and is growing. In the world of economics, Love has absolutely nothing to do with it!

By Gugulethu Manyoni-Mhlanga BA (Hon) (Kingston University, U.K.) Post Grad. Development Studies (University of Bath), U.K.

The author   [email protected] is a Marketing and Communications professional and an independent commentator on African economic and political issues.