“The world changes, revolutionaries die, and the children forget!” In the song “Nizalwa Ngobani?”, `South African songstress and musical icon, Thandiswa Mazwai opens the song with a statement that has resonated in my heart and mind as South African riots continue to shake the core of South Africa’s democratic project. Following the landmark judgment against former President Jacob Zuma by the highest court in the land, South Africa faced the greatest constitutional challenge to its democracy and while Zuma, in the end, went to jail, the political and socio-economic ramifications of his imprisonment have unlocked are yet to reach a climax! 

South Africa’s proud history of resistance and a peaceful transformation from white minority rule to a government by the people has been undermined by years of wasted opportunities to make reality the economic aspirations of our people. These bread and butter issues are not just merely economical, they speak to the restoration of the human dignity of all South Africans, black and white. The event of the past two weeks highlighted that even though we have come a long way from the dark days of oppression, both the legacy of Apartheid and the failures of the ANC has led us to a point where the people have risen to make vocal their disappointment and anger of being left out of the South African dream. 

Moreover, these events underscore certain truths that we have been eager to push under the bed, the first is that the ANC is no longer the moral centre that holds all things together. There is no Zuma’s ANC or Ramaphosa’s ANC for under both leaders the ANC has continued path moral degradation, all you must do is look at the recent corruption allegations against Ramaphosa ally and suspended Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. It is this failure to be the moral centre, that has seen calls by Ramaphosa and the ANC for the end to violence go on deaf ears. The danger of this is that without a moral centre, South Africa is vulnerable to populist voices rising to exploit the genuine grievances of the people. Let us not forget that the rise of Fascists in Italy and the rise of Nazism in Germany are borne of the very conditions South Africa faces today. 

Moreover, the lack of ethical leadership, innovative thinking, and creativity mean that under the ANC, South Africa is unlikely to reform the economy in a manner that makes South Africa more competitive in global trade but also an inability for the economy to support the rise of over 30 million people living in poverty. Our economy is simply too saturated to produce the kind of economic growth needed to drive job creation. The mismatch between the current structure of the economy and mass poverty means that the risk of future riots remains high and will continue to pose operational risks for companies that have operations in South Africa. The result of such would lead to further investment hesitancy in South Africa. You may ask but Musa, JSE is doing well, surely that is a good sign. Well, South Africa is an anomaly amoung emerging markets, in fact, amoung the major economies in the world, with a security exchange market capitalisation ($1.2 Trillion) that is three times the size of its gross domestic product in nominal terms ($365bn). Both Luthuli House and the JSE are out of step with the reality of the real economy and the fact even with this growth in the world’s 19th largest security exchange, South Africa’s youth continue to face a future of uncertainty. 

What does this all mean? Beyond the fact that we will continue to face a high-risk trend in protests and riots, a possible skills exit remains on the card. If the 90s and the 2000s were dominated by white immigration, the trend of a black exodus of the middle class and educated blacks remains a serious threat. This would lead to the hollowing out of their very skills and expertise needed to rebuild the South African economy. In my in the UK, I have met many Africans who in fear of the lack of opportunities in their own countries, are tempted to seek opportunities in the UK, EU, and other parts of the world. I have been bombarded by messages from loved ones pleading me to rather remain in the UK. 

However, this is no time to give up on South Africa. This is time to accept that this is a reckoning of the Republic and we must with every great resolve, take the road less taken, the road that is narrow but leads to life! This is the road that says it’s time for a new United Democratic Front, one that will be led by South Africans who say regardless of ideological differences, “enough is enough.” It is time for a new generation to answer the clarion call spoken through the ages “whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Fellow South Africans ours must be “here am I. Send me!”