A series of moves confirms that South Africa is committed to making infrastructure building the center of its “re-opening” plan. This program was formally announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 29.
Two days earlier, ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile had addressed the self-appointed guardians of empire at Chatham House, and caused more than one lord to squirm in his chair by declaring that, while the “new economy” must be “sustainable,” it would not be post-industrial. While SA is “open for business,” Mashatile said, “it would not be “business as usual.” In building a post-Covid economy, “it’s back to the RDP [Reconstruction and Development Program],” further adding that the government planned to spend $20.5-billion on infrastructure in networked industries like rail and ports, broadband, and basic services like water, sanitation, and housing. [webinar available on CathamHouse websitehttps://www.chathamhouse.org/event/webinar-south-africas-economic-recovery-beyond-covid-19]
This has been taking shape in South Africa for some time. A power-point presentation prepared for the May 22 ANC (African National Congress) event titled “Economic Reconstruction” declared that, because of the global nature of the collapse, “our plan for Reconstruction must be treated like that of a post-War reconstruction situation and in the word [sic] of the President ‘we must do whatever it takes’ to ensure that we [both] limit the damage ... and get our economy back onto a path of recovery.” Following an exhaustive examination of every area of the economy, the final section urges all to identify “shovel ready” infrastructure projects which can immediately proceed.
