GDP decline: SA’s economy will not prosper while ANC remains in power

7 March 2023

South Africa’s 1.3% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decline in the fourth quarter affirms ActionSA’s conviction that the South African economy cannot grow under the ANC’s economic, political and social mismanagement of our country. ANC-inflicted load-shedding and economic infrastructure collapse have decimate our potential for economic prosperity.

The fourth quarter decline – at a time when the country was experiencing a tourism boom – also reaffirms our fears that the country is headed towards a recession as businesses continue to battle power outages and inflationary pressures. Ultimately, it is our citizens, especially the poor, that suffer from our economic decline.

South Africa is now poorer in real terms, has higher unemployment, more load-shedding and worse public infrastructure than when President Cyril Ramaphosa assumed office in 2018. This means that life for most South Africans is now more difficult than it was five years ago.

The ANC and President Ramaphosa’s policies have failed to create jobs, end load-shedding and grow the economy, and his most recent cabinet reshuffle will do little to change the trajectory South Africa is headed towards.

The ANC is clearly unable to self-correct or be rehabilitated, and all opposition parties should work to remove the ANC from power. There is no so-called “good ANC,” and a prosperous South Africa and an ANC government cannot co-exist.

For South Africa to meaningfully improve the lives of our people, at a minimum economic growth must surpass population growth. ActionSA believes this can be achieved by allowing private participation in key sectors of the economy such as electricity, rail and port operations. Furthermore, abandoned factories should be reclaimed and given to small businesses to spur innovation and job creation, and bureaucratic labour laws removed in order to lift our people out of poverty.

While all indicators show that the ANC has no good story to tell, and is steering South Africa in the wrong direction, a real possibility exists to remove the ANC from power in 2024 and install an ethical government that will prioritise the needs of the people.

ActionSA has dedicated itself to achieving this mission and will work with all South Africans to we remove the ANC from power, and steer South Africa on a path of prosperity, job creation and equality.

Issued by Herman Mashaba, President, ActionSA, 7 March 2023