WAYNE DUVENAGE: South Africa needs heightened civil courage from corporates

It is pointless in times of crisis to state the obvious without providing and implementing solutions. As South Africans, we’ve seen our fair share of pointless discussions. They’ve left us frustrated and disillusioned — not least because President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration, since taking the reins, has failed to produce the improvement in prosperity once promised.

The time has come for business and civil society to take a different approach in tackling our numerous crises (they go far beyond just the electricity issue). This shouldn’t be seen as business being opposed to, or in a stand-off with, the government. Instead, the approach should be driven by a desire to assist and persuade the government to become more serious about addressing the underlying issues that lead to economic and social instability.

Banal statements of aggression and calls for a tax revolt give little thought to the consequences: anarchy and state failure. But, if not a tax revolt, what is to be done to address declining service delivery, poor infrastructure planning, the lack of maintenance, ongoing maladministration and the many evils holding back economic growth and prosperity?

Recently, several business leaders have spoken out about the government’s lacklustre performance and poor policy decisions. It’s a newfound moral courage: in the past, company boards would have hauled the CEOs over the coals and told them to wind their necks in. It was taboo to ruffle the feathers of a government known for its bully-boy reaction to critics.

But this is no longer the case — and thankfully so, because speaking out is the first step towards meaningful change.

Still, a gush of civil courage by corporate South Africa is insufficient on its own. Meaningful leadership goes beyond speaking out against an errant government’s mismanagement of the state; leaders in big business and industry associations have to identify the significant and specific administrative barriers and systemic inefficiencies that are holding us back as a nation.

The next step involves constructive meetings and dialogue at the highest levels in the public sector, and agreement on what needs to be addressed and how it will be done. There needs to be a road map for implementation that’s agreed to by business, the government and civil society.

It is here that business and civil society need to stand their ground — which they can best do if the process is driven through new formal structures linked to existing industry bodies, business associations or civil society entities. The proposed solutions should be mindful of issues such as environmental protection, fair competition and the wellbeing of employees and society at large.

Nothing to lose

It’s important, in this “specific interventionist approach”, for effort and resources to be injected into the change-management process. The formal structures put in place should include experienced project managers, as well as specialist working, advisory and oversight committees. These will co-ordinate the task, while ensuring implementation is not left in the hands of the public sector — the very people who may fear and resist the change required.

Unfortunately, formal structures such as the National Economic Development & Labour Council have become ineffective in dealing with crises. Such talk shops, summits and lekgotlas are numerous, yet not helpful when it comes to the problems at hand. Similarly, the “quiet diplomacy” of yesteryear has simply not taken us to where we ought to be as a nation.

As the saying goes, drastic times call for drastic measures. Now is the time to heed Ramaphosa’s call for business to “stop complaining from the sidelines and get into the ring”. This is an invitation that should be accepted with both hands — but the approach to be taken requires a completely new mindset.

The private sector must set the example for the government and society by refusing to engage in corrupt practices such as paying facilitation fees or allowing fronting structures under the guise of consultants or business development costs. It should also be using its influence to push for reform, while working with civil society to lobby for policies that promote economic growth, social stability and environmental sustainability.

We, as individuals, also need to take responsibility and do our part in building a better South Africa. We can do this by speaking out against corruption and unethical behaviour, supporting organisations that hold the government to account, becoming volunteers in activities for change, and, to avoid being part of the problem, rejecting the bribery machine in its many guises and forms.

A stronger role for business

The recently released 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer highlighted that when business and the government work in partnership to resolve issues, they are four times more likely to yield results than if business works on its own. The research also shows that 72% of people believe business CEOs should defend the facts and hold divisive forces accountable.

Business and civil society have a unique opportunity to drive South Africa’s economic and social revival — if they embrace the hard work and believe, in the face of the government’s reluctance to do so, that change is possible.

Empathy, resilience, and determination are crucial when undertaking a journey of meaningful change; it will be filled with the potholes of pain that emanate from robust engagements, and it will meet pushback from those protecting hidden agendas. But endure we must as we seek a sea change to less talking and more action.

The time to work together for positive and meaningful change is now — not tomorrow.

* Duvenage is CEO of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse