The love of money is the root of all evil
The intermittent burning of trucks across South Africa reflects a depressing futility.
More than a century ago, American industrialists encouraged Chinese migration to the USA. Since Chinese labor was cheaper, white labor was sidelined. As whites idled, racism and violence towards the Chinese increased. The limited access to a decent wage created gangsterism and major problems in both communities who sought to protect themselves from each other etc.
The conflict amidst truck drivers and the burning of trucks across South Africa are centered around business hiring foreigners at lower cost. It seems that local drivers may now have involved criminals to force business to hire local labor.
What ensures will determine if business can hire its choice of labor or if the violence will succeed. In the meantime, trucks are burnt, cargo is lost amidst a pandemic in a nation with 50% joblessness. Those in governance seem unable or unwilling to end the wastage and overall carnage on our roads.
What remains unexplained is why the unions and workers cannot help themselves. The unions have billions in retirement funds and other membership fees. In all the decades, could they not invest in socially responsible companies that can provide their member with work? Since the unions are in government, unions could with equity partnerships uses its influence to tender for contracts. Unions can tender for trucking coal at ESKOM etc. With preferential treatment, unions could cut out the predatory capitalist who only seeks profit at any cost. Unions could buy their own mines and supply coal directly to ESKOM and reduce corruption. They have the money and already do the work.
This responsible capitalism, suggests a collectivism where profits are recycled amid union members. Since unions lack business skills they must have responsible partnerships. Supporting manufacturers that are loyal to local labor and local production is a start. What is needed is a different type of thinking. We need capacity and not popularity and experience and not professional deceivers.
Our “normal” cannot result in criminality as part of an economic strategy. We need thinking leaders.
Already municipal contractors building houses for the poor pay protection with ratepayer’s money.
We have 20 000 murders annually in South Africa. Political and GBV violence is part of our reality. Doing business cannot include killings and chaos. The violence can stop, when thinking people lead.
We need a breed of leaders where the ability to implement practical plans is priority number one.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress