The whole R22m flag fiasco indicates a much bigger problem in Ramaphosa's Cabinet
Last week, after a massive public outcry, the Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa decided to put the brakes on the R22 million flag project.
“Over the past few days, the Minister…has followed and taken note of public discourse that has unfolded in respect of the envisaged Monumental Flag,” said his department.
“In upholding these ethos and the inalienable rights of citizens to be heard, the Minister ….has directed his department to review the process related to the Monumental Flag in its totality.”
Well, pardon my language, but thank f…k!
Two days later the President, at a public meeting, rather humorously told the story of how Nathi Mthethwa had called him and said that it seems that the people are not happy with the whole flag idea. The President responded: “Of course they are not”.
“What shall I do?” asked Mthethwa.
“Cancel this thing,” responded the President.
Now let me say that I have a lot of respect for people – especially politicians – who can acknowledge that they have made a mistake and try to make amends. So, in that sense I want to say: “Well done, Mr. President and well done, Min. Mthethwa”.
However, this whole sorry saga highlighted a much bigger problem.
According to a post-cabinet press statement issued by GCIS, the question about whether to have this flag was discussed in cabinet a while ago – and passed. So here is my question:
How is it possible that a sufficient number of cabinet members (I don’t think they ever vote on issues), thought that this was a good idea? I mean, you can still see one cabinet minister missing the mark, but all of them?
After telling the story of Minister Mthethwa’s phone call, President Ramaphosa remarked: “We are a listening government. We listen to what our people say”.
See, I don’t believe that anymore. If indeed the members of cabinet were listening to the people, they would not even have started this ludicrous project.
I suspect that the reason is that the vast majority of cabinet members have been in cabinet too long. The problem with being a minister is that you get isolated. Officials tend to kowtow to the every whim of the Minister and rarely counter them. When out in public, ministerial engagements are carefully orchestrated and they are insulated by their VIP protection officers from getting too close to people. On the rare occasion that a member of the public should raise some frustrations and anger, the Minister almost always is moved along swiftly (or the person raising the issue is taken away).
Thus, as the years go by, cabinet ministers tend to live more and more in a rose-tinted, luxury-car-driven bubble and so they become tone-deaf to the cries of the people.
The result? A R22 million flag project that should never even been thought of gets approved and planned, and it takes a call to the President for it to be stopped.
This episode is just another indication to me that President Ramaphosa has a big problem in his cabinet. With a few exceptions, ministers either make stupid decisions (a R22 million flag), or they speak in two tongues and confuse the hell out of investors (“we want green investment, but will expand our exploration of oil, gas, and coal). Or, worse, they do nothing.
So, it seems that most things end up on the desk of the President. That is not sustainable and results in President Ramaphosa looking weak and/or indecisive, when in fact the blame lies with his cabinet.
The President has talked a lot about the renewal not only of the ANC, but also of government – and in particular in the way they conduct business. But old brooms don’t sweep clean.
I realise that it is important to keep a level of experience in cabinet. I am also keenly aware that in the year of the ANC National Elective Conference year, the President would not want to make any enemies.
However, it is time to face up to the fact that neither investors nor the populace are getting any satisfaction from this government. I speak frequently to foreign investors, and they fail to understand the inaction as well as contradictory messages that spring forth from the governing party.
When I mix with ordinary South Africans – especially ANC electorate, the desperation that they feel with a government that they want to remain loyal to, but which is either totally tone-deaf or too arrogant to address their most basic needs, is palpable.
I believe that it is time for a radical cabinet change.
Not one of those moving-chess-pieces-around cabinet reshuffles, but a drastic one, where people are fired or told to retire and new blood is brought in. Those who come in should be told clearly what they have to do and after 6 months their progress must be reviewed. If they had not delivered on what the electorate wants or needs, they should be out.
We, the people of South Africa, deserve a government that listens to the people. However, we also need a government that will listen all the time and not only when Twitter blows up after a stupid decision. And as far as I can see the majority of cabinet ministers are not able or interested in what people have to say anymore.