All politicians say they want to help the country prosper, but far too much of what passes for policy proposals would do no such thing. Too many political parties have not thought sufficiently and carefully about what drives growth. Worse, they believe it is quite possible — and sensible — to be in favour of growth while also being convinced that business is basically evil. In a series of briefs dubbed Agenda 2019, the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE) has encouraged voters to go beyond the slogans, ask hard questions and demand answers on key issues before casting their votes. The contradiction between claiming to be pro-growth while harbouring a deep anti-business animus is in the DNA of South African politics, especially the governing alliance. This inconsistency is exposed when we consider that collectively business is responsible for the bulk of economic activity in SA. Business employs more than five times as many people as the government does, invests much more than...

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