ACOLLEAGUE who often travels to China told
me about a rudimentary but very effective measure of economic performance used
by the Chinese government. It counts the number of what we would call service
delivery protests – and the higher the number the more likely the economy is not
growing as fast as it should.
The opposite means people have more opportunities to work and
therefore are happier. Of course they use more scientific methods too but this
one is a good indicator.
China offers some valuable, if unpalatable, lessons to the
liberally-inclined.
Firstly, there is an unmistakable drive to make China successful –
yesterday rather than today or tomorrow. The Chinese are very clear about the
bigger goals of China Inc, and that in order to achieve those goals everyone
needs to move in step and in the same direction. Given our level of politicking
and bickering that takes place whenever there is a proposal on the table it is
not difficult to see why the Chinese economy is growing at more than 9% a year
and ours is coughing along at an asthmatic 4% or less.
South Africa urgently needs a national vision that is not laced
with political rhetoric and that will set clear long-term goals. Central to this
vision are clear targets and timelines on education, skills development and
health. With a deteriorating education system, skills unsuited for an economy
like ours and a dying population – our life expectancy is now 51 – any hopes of
rapid economic growth without serious interventions are delusional.
Secondly, the Chinese have adopted a clinical approach to education
and training at all levels. A long time ago China realised that if it couldn’t
provide adequate jobs and basic services its entire political system would
collapse. Before the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre the Chinese government had
identified higher education as a key pillar for building China as a global
economic powerhouse. As a result by 1998 more than 1 000 universities and
colleges were educating 3.4 million students.
Thirdly, China Inc understands that one of the fundamental laws of
competition is to offer fairly good products at the cheapest price. China is not
characterised by powerful trade unions like we are. In fact belonging to a trade
union outside of the sycophantic version of belonging to the Communist Party is
life-threatening.
Our own textile industry knows all about Chinese competition after
having shed most of the jobs that were in existence five years ago. While we
cannot pay the pitiful wages workers earn in China, we can loosen the
stranglehold unions like the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union appear to
have on the future of our children. Protesting is one thing but holding the
country’s future to ransom is a moral crime.
Fourthly, corruption which has been institutionalised by class,
race and political cronyism will destroy any hope of a stable future if it
continues at the rate with which it is eating into our moral and body politic.
Crimes of economic dishonesty need to carry long sentences without the
possibility of a presidential pardon or parole.
Lastly, we need to entrench a culture of high performance and
intolerance of laziness. The Chinese work long, punishing hours without the
perks we take for granted.
I am not advocating the stripping away of hard-earned worker
rights, and I am fully aware of the financial pressures many workers suffer
because they have to support a multitude of unemployed and sometimes sick
relatives on meagre wages.
I am, however, advocating a new national contract that emphasises
hard work and achievement of a national long-term vision. We cannot hope to be
competitive in the intensely competitive world economy if we aren’t prepared to
make sacrifices. South Africa needs rapid economic growth, faster than the
“magical” 6% we have been aiming for if we are to rapidly improve the lives of
the poor. China houses 20 million extra people every year. That is not by magic
but through hard work guided by a clear national vision. South Africa needs to
learn what it can from China and act without delay.
- Zibi works for
Xstrata South Africa but writes here in his personal capacity.