By Paul T Shipale
We should expect the new government, which was elected on the transformational leadership and inclusion mantra, to bring planning and organisation to a different level. The current expansion of infrastructure is widely expected to be enlarged exponentially, while the economic empowerment programme is probably going to go into a season of great transformation, which, in turn, will lead to a lot of opportunities for businesses.
On the other hand, entrepreneurship would increase as the need from entrepreneurs will be so great that government will have to respond with more support. However, businessmen are expected to request relaxation of the rules, as they feel there are far too many restrictions.
In the same vein, government would want to institute certain demands of the public to still the rioting voices of the people, especially from a group of agitators going around the country with the aim to raise awareness of the pressing issues and holding the government accountable.
In this regard, there will be an increase in public service spending while fast tracking the need for housing, electricity, water and sewage will be seen, especially in the rural areas.
In addition, government will become more serious about the management of municipalities. Part of this will be due to the demands that were made from the people regarding basic services. One should also expect great focus to be placed on new models and systems for public transport.
Furthermore, strategies and legislation will be put into place by which corruption will be made more difficult. Thus, it is expected that we will see many people being exposed because of corruption. This will pave the road for leaders with noble, open and honest hearts to come into position.
The regional and rural economies specifically will gain crucial importance with a shift away from the big towns. This year, it is also expected a restructuring and resourcing plan will be put in place, which will stop the eating at dumpsites. In terms of housing and sanitation, housing models and projects that were successful in neighbouring countries will be used, thus helping the building sector to grow.
In terms of socio-economic emancipation, for the vast majority of the previously disadvantaged “the revolution can no longer be deferred”, according to the ethical foundation of the liberation movement – an unflinching belief in the equality of all mankind. The latter should not only serve the demands of the moment, simply referenced to foreground the main message – the urgency of socio-economic transformation – as this is an old-fashioned tactic meant to show that new policy emphases are not a deviation from policy traditions, but simply denote “continuity” and a useful banter against critics.
Appearance of radicalism should not be our immediate concern. Radicalism is secondary, a possible outcome of how the government handles the urgency of socio-economic transformation within the next five years. Socio-economic transformation is the primary task. Uppermost should not only be how the government will go about the “second phase of the struggle”, but how it will deal with the possible fallout with some powerful interests, locally and globally in order to accommodate the vast majority of our people.
The good news is that opposition parties will increasingly complement the government on decision making. This will show a turnabout that is taking place in government.
The major hurdle will, however, come from within the ruling party itself, if the issue of slate politics, division and factionalism is not handled carefully. That is why I said previously on these pages that we must reject the circulating of slates. Unless we change this mindset, we may find ourselves in a vicious cycle and energy-usurping processes, which will not only defocus us from our real tasks but also lead to paralysis.
On a good note, however, government is expected to look for leaders at universities and approach the lecturers and professors to name the top students so they can enter sponsorship programmes to receive training in selected areas where there is a huge lack of qualified leadership. In the same vein, the younger generation is expected to be encouraged to enrol in international business schools like Harvard Business School and others. Students are also expected to receive sponsorships to study abroad in countries such as Russia, China, Cuba, as well as in Europe and the Americas through our bilateral programmes and return with the urgently needed skills attained.
My humble advice to the incoming leadership is not about who should take which position but for the President-elect to craft a memorable inaugural speech that will capture the moment and outline a vision for the future while giving the nation hope. I, therefore, suggest that he starts with a strong, simple speech outline that would accomplish the following five tasks: be frank and honest about the socio-economic realities of the country; address the pressing issues; appear strong, confident and firm; offer an olive branch; and make a call-to-action.
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of my employer and this newspaper but solely reflect my personal views as a citizen.