The collapse of towns, inner cities and suburbs across the country because of corruption, incompetence and lack of accountability has been one of the biggest destroyers of wealth for individuals, communities and businesses. It has also caused huge reductions in income for local municipalities and cities.
It brings not only the breakdown of infrastructure, business and homeowner flight, slums and crime, it destroys the income, savings and livelihoods of individuals, families, business owners and investors. It causes the deindustrialisation and informalisation of South Africa. It has reduced the country’s middle class.
It is one of the fundamental causes of the breakdown of social cohesion, shared values, belonging and sense of community. Family life breaks up. Only memories remain.
It breaks down healthy communal and cultural life. It plunges people into poverty, increases inequality and causes physical and mental illness, profound individual hopelessness, resentment, anger and lack of confidence in politics, government and democratic institutions.
ANC politicians talk glibly of superficial new turnaround strategies, such as Operation Vulindlela, aimed at turning around failing towns, inner cities and municipalities. But these initiatives not only do not deal with the real causes of the collapse, but come too late for the overwhelming majority of business, home and investment owners.
It drives people who have lost everything into ethnic, colour and religious fundamentalist laagers as a way to cope with the total collapse of their asset base.
Racism increases, as some whites who have lost their savings, property and assets blame the “black” ANC political government. Many blacks, not linked to the patronage of the ANC, also become resentful, often saying life was better under apartheid — at least the towns were clean, government worked and the trains ran.
ANC politicians talk glibly of superficial new turnaround strategies, such as Operation Vulindlela, aimed at turning around failing towns, inner cities and municipalities. But these initiatives not only do not deal with the real causes of the collapse, but come too late for the overwhelming majority of business, home and investment owners who lose their income, savings and livelihoods as property values collapse.
Homes are worthless, and cannot be sold, while loans still need to be paid. Businesses collapse and cannot be sold, but the debts remain. Investments and savings cannot be recouped in the areas that have collapsed.
Individuals, families and businesses lose the wealth, savings, assets and livelihoods they have worked for most of their lives. Municipalities lose rates and utilities income from home and business owners — and new investment. The impoverishment of individuals due to the collapse in the value of their properties, investments and savings erode the national tax base. Crime spirals as areas become informalised, slummified and deindustrialised as formal structures and communities break down.
Public institutions such as clinics, schools, theatres, museums, recreational centres, pools, parks and sports facilities collapse. Historical buildings, monuments and heritage sites collapse. History comes to an end. Tourism to these areas collapses. Public transport collapses and is taken over by informal minibus taxis. Formal shops and restaurants are replaced by informal vendors.
High-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and professionals with high social capital — those who typically get involved on school boards and organise sports and cultural events — leave for better areas, depriving these broken towns, inner cities and suburbs of precious energy, capacity and capital. The collapsing towns, inner cities and suburbs, now losing their tax base, stop regularly cleaning streets, filling potholes and fixing and replacing infrastructure.
The national government should stop coming up with fantasies such as building “smart cities” or public relations “reforms” such as Operation Vulindlela. What is needed is to fix declining areas by appointing competent political representatives and drawing up merit-based public service and government contracts — rather than political cadre appointments and cadre-led “businesses” — and holding corrupt, incompetent and uncaring officials accountable by firing them or holding them personally liable for wrongdoing.
So-called social cohesion government programmes should also be stopped, as they are a joke and do not tackle the real causes of collapse. Corruption, non-merit cadre-based public appointments and state contracts, the lack of public service delivery, and the marginalisation of minorities in government appointments and contracts must be stopped.
Citizens should also get involved in establishing and running community police forums to hold the line against crime; band together to clean and maintain infrastructure where local governments fail; and continue to operate cultural, sports and recreational organisations as volunteers where the state has abrogated its responsibilities. They should take government officials to court to hold them personally liable for the collapse of towns, inner cities, suburbs and townships.
• Gumede is professor of practice, School of Governance, University of the Witwatersrand and author of Restless Nation: Making Sense of Troubled Times (Tafelberg)
For opinion and analysis consideration, email Opinions@timeslive.co.za
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