I was in South Africa last week and came back distressed. I have always had an emotional attachment to South Africa since my youth. In High School, I mourned with the children of Soweto when they were gunned down protesting the introduction of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in schools.
In 1994 when South Africa finally became free, I felt I had contributed to the freedom struggle. Although I am a Kenyan, I feel entitled to an opinion on how this freedom should be managed.
South Africa is a benchmark and a warning for Kenya. Its economy is roughly 10 times ours, more advanced and sophisticated. It is also blessed with fertile lands, plenty of water, educated manpower and unbelievably rich in minerals. Its industries are both hi-tech and sophisticated and its banks amongst the richest in Africa. How can such an economy go wrong?
In one week alone, the following appears in the newspaper. First, youth employment is at 50 per cent. Violent crime rates are the highest in Africa and downtown Johannesburg is a dangerous place to visit. Drug addiction is extremely high and social problems abound. A recent survey shows that 62 per cent of all top management is white, 20 per cent is African and the remaining 18 per cent are coloured, Indian and others.
The ownership of the top four banks and the Stock Exchange is almost 100 per cent white and so is the rest of the economy. Where exactly are the "matunda ya Uhuru" (Fruits of freedom?) 30 years after independence? Mandela came out of prison and agreed not to nationalise the wealth of South Africa, the mines, farms and banks. Instead, he embarked on "Black Economic Empowerment" programme also known as BEE. This was a programme for affirmative economic action to empower the rise of black enterprises. All it managed to do was create tens of black multimillionaires and one or two billionaires.
The establishment has managed to create a cadre of rich black businessmen who support and protect the status quo. Hence the vast inequalities that exist in South Africa. The BEE programme created a transparent corruption mechanism where large South African corporations took on a few black directors and gave them shares and the quid pro quo was political access and protection. The rest of the country followed their elite and corruption has become a way of life. South Africa has been stung by bees.
South Africa is on the verge of economic and social implosion caused by community stress. The currency is in a free fall. Inflation is rising and the cost of living is going up. The local power company, Eskom, is on the verge of bankruptcy saddled with high debts, and there are daily power shortages. South African Airlines, which was once one of the best airlines in the world, is bankrupt and on life support from the government. Corruption has become endemic.
Kenya is a great country by any standards. It was made great by the first generation of leaders who were all products of the great airlift that sent hundreds of Africans to the West and the East to get a university education. These men and women came back and built this country. Unfortunately, these ultra-smart people also institutionalised corruption, just as they are doing in South Africa.
Today, you have a judge who removes educational qualifications for governors because its "unconstitutional". If we follow the same logic, we should use Google for medical prescriptions. Why waste time and money to study medicine? This is the logic that allows people who cannot understand basic finance and economics to run our cities. People will always rise to their level of incompetence. If we are not careful, we will end up as another Zimbabwe or South Africa.
