Time to reach for a new world with speed and collaboration

Leaders all over the world find themselves in the unenviable position of navigating a rapidly changing world. The fine balance between minimising the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic on national health and a similar effect on the national economy has become the pertinent test. However, this same test faces the entire globe.

“But I know, as you do, that unless we take these difficult measures now, unless we hold this course for a little longer, the coronavirus pandemic will ultimately come to our country.” 

These are the words President Cyril Ramaphosa said during his announcement of the extension of the lockdown. There is no doubt that this is a necessary measure designed to save lives. However, it is equally doubtless that this will cause a lot of suffering, especially among the most vulnerable in our society. What we need to appreciate though is that our government, for all its shortcomings, has decided to put life ahead of economic considerations. The hope is that we can deal better with hunger than with a full-blown pandemic and an ailing health system.

The one lesson which keeps coming up from the Covid-19 global pandemic is the absolute need for speed. The interventions which have worked to contain the spread of Covid-19 infection have required speed. The countries which have demonstrated this speed have managed to reduce and contain the spread of coronavirus. The amount of speed necessary here may not be confined to our reactions to health catastrophes — it may, in fact, be required by everything we encounter in the future from here on.

Our initial interventions such as lockdown have required speed. However, we still need a lot of speed for our follow-up interventions. The production and distribution of cloth masks require speed and reach. The education and promotion which must accompany this intervention must be delivered effectively and with speed.

The widespread testing which we have been talking about needs to be delivered with great speed so that we can know where we stand and where we need to direct meaningful intervention. The funding which is needed to support SMMEs must be delivered speedily. The setting up of quarantine facilities in tandem with widespread testing must be done with speed. The procurement of ventilators and protective gear must likewise be delivered with speed. Everything requires speed.

Another important thing to learn right now is how indispensable co-operation is in dealing with complex and fast-changing situations such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The co-operation we have seen between the private sector and government is admirable. It is a revelation — most South Africans are surprised that it is possible at all. The donations which went into the Solidarity Fund from diverse sections of society is also a testament to the power and utility of co-operation. This level of co-operation has given us a glimpse of what is possible going forward.

Considering that, by all estimations, we are not likely to go back to the way things were, we need to take this opportunity to reconfigure our economy. Our transition from a mining and agriculture dominated economy with its antiquated requirements of vast labour reserves, to a modern economy dominated by information and data has not been successful. We have vast human potential locked up in congested informal settlements and rural areas all over the country. It is this very setup which has made us extremely vulnerable at this time. We need to act with speed to accelerate the development of this vast human potential and change the design of our human settlements.

While we may not have the same resources as developed countries to kick-start our economy with a huge stimulus package after this lockdown, there is much we can do. We need to rebuild our health system, taking a cue from the outstanding co-operation between private health and public health during this period. We must take our education system firmly online, slash data costs, and improve alignment with the global economy. We must improve local industries, and reconfigure and realign productive capacity towards the future by promoting entrepreneurship.

These suggestions have been made for some time, but what we need now is speed. The luxury of ignorance is gone, or should be. The days of viewing the state as a gateway to riches are obsolete. We must reconfigure the state to serve all South Africans and nothing else. The required economic stimulus after lockdown must facilitate a reformed economy. This requires speed — and, of course, co-operation!