TK CHUA: Entrenched ideologies and interest groups hold SA back

Having lived and worked in SA for over six years I was challenged by some local friends to share my views on their country with the reading public.

I am convinced that SA has a bright future. First, the political system — with all its shortcomings — ensures a peaceful transfer of power through elections. Second, it has an open economy, though more could be done to enhance its competitiveness, particularly through fewer regulations and more digital partnerships. Third, it has good institutions, except that too much focus has been given to “modern” ones like finance and law, and not enough to “traditional” ones like the family.

Fourth, it has patient and resourceful people, though taken for granted and underappreciated for too long. Fifth, it has the right friends, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, including Singapore. Sixth, it has enormous wealth: minerals, agriculture and tourist attractions, renewable energy, good climate and vast oceans.

However, I am concerned that the future might not be fast forwarded because of ingrained ideologies and entrenched interest groups. They know and most of us know who they are. That is not the issue. The real question is: what is to be done about it?  The answer I think, not just from a Singapore perspective but also clear from my posting and work on other countries, is leadership.

Good leadership is necessary to overcome ideology and private interest. But good leadership is a “public good”.  It is not readily available. By definition, a public good (different from public services) is underprovided in the marketplace because of “free-riding”.  A good leader has to make sacrifices and take risks. A bad leader enjoys the perks of office while abusing the trust of his or her followers. Good leaders are needed not only at the top but in all organisations, private and public, and across society starting with the family unit. While the buck stops with the president, he alone cannot deliver success.

To be fair, it is more difficult to be a good leader in SA than elsewhere. There is almost a culture of distrust. Whether it is due to apartheid or ANC governance I cannot analyse here. I believe this distrust leads many smart South Africans to cling to outdated world views. This is obvious from the questions I get in lectures at the universities. Actually, there is nothing wrong with world views or ideologies if they are tested against reality.

The difficulty is that theories on how a society works and how it should be governed are not easy to prove one way or another. They are naturally contestable. However, from my interactions with South Africans across the length and breadth of the country I am convinced that they are pragmatic whatever the colour of their skin. In my view it is this pragmatism under the skin, along with the heady idealism of Nelson Mandela, that averted all-out war or revolution to give birth to democratic SA.

Pragmatism looks for results, both spiritual and material. Pragmatism can be tested, especially against material outcome. It is more difficult, but not impossible, to agree on the spiritual or nonmaterial and measure their outcome. With a pragmatic approach South Africans can then ask and experiment with what is the workable mix of state and market and mix of rule of law and rule of (wo)man, instead of demonising one or the other and denying themselves the varieties of instruments and strategies necessary to lead their country out of unemployment, inequality and poverty.

• Chua is a diplomat with the Singapore high commission/embassy.