Moeletsi Mbeki, the outspoken scholar, journalist, political economist and analyst, is not one to beat around the bush when it comes to a key social issues affecting South African citizens today. At a recent 2024 Pre-Elections Business Breakfast organised by the Listen, Live and Learn (LLL) programme and the School of Public Leadership (SPL), he did not mince his words in his presentation focused on state failure in South Africa and the prospects for the country with the 2024 General Election around the corner.

The LLL programmme is based within the Centre for Student Communities (CSC) in the Division Student Affairs (DSAf). It was established in the early 2000s as a student leadership development platform for students and actively works towards creating great leadership across society to increase the prospect of citizens being able to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our times: social cohesion, sustainable development, poverty, and inequality. The SPL is based in the Stellenbosch Business School in Bellville. 

Mbeki was welcomed by Prof Ingrid Woolard, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences (EMS), who talked about the importance of students engaging with thought leaders to address societal issues such as unemployment, inequality and corruption in society. 

“You need to become agents of change in determining the future of South Africa," she said. 

During his discussion, Mbeki also delved into the history of slavery in South Africa, and the Great Trek, and reflected on major anniversaries taking place in 2024. A regular commentator on contemporary politics, Mbeki, who is also the Deputy Chair of the South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent think tank based at the University of the Witwatersrand, reiterated his view that South Africa is being led by a failed government.

“The African National Congress has already started losing power. It has lost the support of the urban African population, which is the backbone of the ANC," said Mbeki.

“This loss of support of the urban African population can be attributed to three major mistakes by the ANC-led government: firstly, the acceptance of Black Economic Empowerment as a policy, the retention of state-owned companies after the end of apartheid and withdrawing the army from its border control duties.

“There are clear similarities between Afrikaner and African Nationalism, which are a continuum of the other. I am hoping that in 2024 we will witness the end of nationalism in South Africa," he added.

South Africa, he said, has not become a failed state due to the resilience of civil society, faith-based organisations, as well as the private sector“, the latter of which can play a positive role in the economy should the government [make the decision to] sell off its state-owned companies to the sector". 

Enos Lekala, the LLL Programme Coordinator, said that they had invited Mbeki to inspire students to start thinking about the 2024 elections and have conversations about the significance of the upcoming elections.

“This need arose from the ongoing questions about South Africa's future," he explained. 

Highlighting the “Learn" component of the LLL programme, LLL student resident, Fallon Matthews, said that the topics – from BBBEE to privatisation – addressed by Mbeki in his discussion made her realise why “policies should never be permanent but rather amended when the differences between equality and equity are not addressed within them". 

“I liked that there was room for engagement and that the audience as well as the speaker could disagree with each other, but also hold room to learn."

By attending the event, she said, she had “the opportunity to grapple with the everyday issues we as South Africans face – from unemployment to corruption and a lot of other ways we are disadvantaged by our current governance". ​ 

For LLL intern, Jaina Lalla, the event had provided her with “a lot more historical context behind policies, and how government functions".

“It was also refreshing to hear that the future we hope for in South Africa is definitely achievable," she said.  

“While we do not have clear-cut solutions," added Lekala, “it was our intention to contribute by having this meaningful conversation and to inspire diverse thinking, especially since we provide a home to future leaders."