BRONWYN NORTJE: Graft and uncertainty have been playing havoc since Rhodes’s era
Despite its long and inglorious history, the country has somehow survived and staggered on
Ask any armchair analyst what the greatest obstacle to economic growth in SA is and he or she will invariably respond with some variation on the theme of uncertainty and corruption. Over the past year, there is no question that uncertainty around the ANC’s national elective conference and the increasingly unpredictable behaviour of President Jacob Zuma have been the primary causes of a dearth of investment and economic growth in SA. Corruption within state-owned enterprises has also reached untenable levels — the national power utility appears to be functionally bankrupt. This unprecedented mix of corruption and uncertainty has done untold damage to the economy, but SA has a long and inglorious history of being an uncertain place to do business and an environment beset by corruption, yet somehow the country has survived and staggered on, and I suspect we will continue to do so. If for any reason you are under the impression that corruption is the sole preserve of the ANC government ...
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