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AfriBusiness congratulates President Cyril Ramaphosa with his election as the South African Head of State. Amid relief over the departure of his predecessor, the public expectantly looks to Ramaphosa to have the ANC and government take a new direction.

Piet le Roux, CEO of AfriBusiness, says Ramaphosa is facing big challenges: “Firstly a culture of irresponsibility and corruption prevails in the ANC – and, thanks to the ANC, also in the civil service. Secondly the ANC at its recent congress again confirmed its commitment to its outdated ideologies of central planning, race representation and nationalisation.

Thirdly the ANC tends to want to cover up all its faults and problems with the race card. For President Ramaphosa to meet the positive expectations of citizens, he not only will have to part with certain previous commitments such as expropriation without compensation, but will also have to reform the ANC at its core.”

Le Roux says the long road to recovery runs through the free market. “Businesses work incessantly to accomplish economic growth. What hinders this is inter alia continued centralisation of power, disregard of property rights, threats of radical economic transformation, black economic empowerment and other race-based legislation, policy proposals such as the mining charter, as well as bankrupt state enterprises. For economic growth President Ramaphosa simply has to start by removing obstacles – businesses and employees will see to the rest.”

Issued by AfriBusiness