GNU needs to ‘geshido’ to remain good news

We’re more than halfway through the first 100 days of SA’s government of national unity (GNU). And while we’re starting to see some progress, if President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet want to show real commitment and respect for the trust South Africans have placed in them by the 100 day mark on October 11, we need far more delivery and far fewer promises and plans. 

It’s no great secret that the chasm or connection between good strategic planning and tangible outcomes will determine a nation’s progress. But for too many decades the relationship and trust between SA business, civil society and government has been marred by empty or broken promises that our government has a strong plan for recovery and growth, and for better service delivery.

Frankly, the trust business and society placed in government was cruelly abused. And the fact that so many of us remain willing to trust in the promises of the GNU today is nothing short of miraculous. It cannot be taken for granted. 

But it’s essential to define what exactly we are trusting the GNU to do. For many of us determined to inclusively grow our economy and create sustainable jobs coupled with future-fit skills that will equip our people to compete in domestic and international markets, we are trusting the GNU to get on with the structural reforms needed in the business of government.

We need the GNU to create an enabling environment for business and investment, and to deliver essential and meaningful services to the public so that we can grow our economy and grow jobs. In short, we’re trusting the GNU to “geshido” — to get shit done. 

We know economic growth is driven by efficiency, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. If the GNU allows itself to get stuck in an endless planning cycle with promises of potential outcomes, these drivers will be stifled, resources diverted and positive sentiment destroyed.

We’re seeing some flashes of innovation and actual delivery, especially from the vital department of home affairs under minister Leon Schreiber, which seems to finally be clearing years-worth of backlogs of critical skills visa applications. The steady hand of finance minister Enoch Godongwana is visible at the Treasury, and the return of veteran minister Barbara Creecy to transport is reassuring. The announcement that state-owned enterprises will return to line-function ministers from the doldrums of public enterprises is also a laudable step that shows structural reforms are under way. 

But the threat of National Health Insurance being zealously pushed through by health minister Aaron Motsoaledi slams the brakes on investment in the economy in critical healthcare or skills, with the threat of a taxpayer exodus. It forces us all back to the drawing board, just when it seemed there was hope on the horizon. It erodes the fragile trust we desperately want restored by the GNU and wastes critical resources that are better spent building schools, hospitals, roads and digital networks by what should be a dynamic, responsive and proactive GNU. 

If the GNU is to “geshido”, it should be focusing on four key components for meaningful delivery:

• It should visualise and make its intended outcomes transparent. It’s no use committing to highly complex, internal, and siloed departmental objectives. People within and outside government need simple and clear objectives to work towards, and this must be coupled with simple and clear communication on what is being pursued and why. A political leader getting this right, albeit not in the GNU, is Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

He regularly and simply sets out what Cape Town is striving for, why this matters for civil servants working for the local government as well as ordinary citizens, and how far from their target they are. No-one expects a perfect leader, but his is an example of transparent and accountable leadership that builds trust and confidence for the better even if the execution isn’t always according to plan. If you’re going to fail, then fail fast, learn and iterate. 

• These simple and clear objectives must be prioritised, sequenced and executed in quick succession. This is where so many leaders in government and business get stuck: a consequence of wanting the very best plan and the very best pathway to success is that the bureaucracy freezes. There are far too many problems to fix and not nearly enough resources or capacity available.

The truth is that the best plan doesn’t exist, but with a strong supportive environment with clear priorities and sequencing for the executing team to forge ahead and initiate, delivery on a good enough plan can happen based on a minimum viable product to test the vision and gain feedback for future iterations. 

• Measuring and monitoring progress with frequent, honest introspections will serve GNU leaders well. Even after years of mismanagement and corruption there remain many pockets of excellence and integrity within the public service. These innovators, creators, thinkers and doers who continue to share their employable skills for the SA state should be encouraged through positive feedback and supported to strengthen their strengths. The GNU and its constituent parts should be encouraged to use agile metrics to focus on workflow, organisation and prioritisation of work based on sound data for optimal decision-making, and get it done.

• Finally, the GNU’s objectives must evolve with developing circumstances. It’s no use plodding along to tick tasks off a static plan — the world is moving fast, and SA needs to give itself a chance to get a step ahead, not perpetually play catch-up. “Get ready, fire, then aim” is the counterintuitive mantra of Matthew Harvey of Shoprite X, the digital innovation hub for the Shoprite Group. This can infuse GNU delivery with the zest and agility needed for service delivery where it matters most, coupled with the GNU’s commitment to a feedback loop to stakeholders, the citizens. 

The GNU is starting to get so much right, but if it doesn’t work together its promise will fail. By frequently iterating a simple, clear and live game plan that is constantly in action, SA will “geshido” and move in the right direction. 

• Craker is CEO, and De Gregorio an executive partner, at independent management and technology consulting firm IQbusiness.