Two recent unrelated events prompted this reflection. First: the debate about the government changing visa and travel regulations in an attempt to ease the movement of people, import critical skills and boost tourism numbers.
Many people welcomed this policy shift, arguing that the 2015 regulations were ill-considered and responsible for negative growth in the tourism sector. The implementing minister, Malusi Gigaba, received the short end of the stick.
In social media he became a mascot of poor public policy-making, blamed for allegedly ignoring evidence when introducing the 2015 regulations. It didn't matter even to the erudite (who ought to know something about how the state functions) that the policy provision was a cabinet decision, not Gigaba's invention.
What is certain from the visa saga is that the 2015 regulations had mixed results and therefore required amendment. The sentiment was clear from industry stakeholders, economists and members of the public. Although public policy purists might argue against relying on social media to make conclusive decisions about the performance of public policy, the negative sentiment there can't be ignored. After all, this is a form of media, albeit unmediated by the tyranny of newsroom editorial structures.
Let's hasten to state that a fair number of people received news of the policy adjustment with caution. They warned of unintended consequences, of potential terrorists gaining access to our country (via visa-exempted countries) and the risk of child trafficking..
The second event involves the government's response to public violence in the Johannesburg township of Westbury. The unrest was sparked by the murder of a mother caught in alleged gang violence crossfire.
The community of Westbury mobilised street protests expressing their anger at rampant gang violence in the area, which they attribute to high unemployment, poor delivery of municipal services and inadequate policing. Police minister Bheki Cele immediately visited the area and held public meetings. He has since returned there twice and announced a number of measures such as increasing the number of police officers and prioritising the detection and arrest of suspected gang members. Cele's responsiveness is being widely acknowledged.
A colleague in the senior management of the Gauteng provincial government, Yoliswa Makhasi, shared chilling observations of Westbury after visiting the area as part of Cele's intervention. Makhasi wrote that the area has:..