TOWNSHIP BUSINESS
STEVEN FRIEDMAN: Jobs fixation ignores grassroots energy
SA is unlikely to make real headway in dealing with poverty until grassroots economic activity is taken much more seriously than it is now
Sadly, the people who need "radical economic transformation" most are least likely to get it. This is not surprising. In this country’s debate, the poor are targets of many kind words but much less action. One aspect of the state of the nation address that passed unnoticed is something it did not say about "radical economic transformation". Earlier statements by the ANC claimed that "township business" was a priority for change; the address ignored this issue. The nearest the government came to talking about it was a claim by a minister that infrastructure would be developed in the townships. This is necessary, but falls far short of a plan to stimulate economic activity on the ground. This suggests that, despite the promises, this is simply not a priority. The phrase "township business" is — or should be — shorthand for a problem usually hidden in the debate on jobs and growth. Across the board, the voices who shape how we think about the economy assume that the core priority is to...
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