SONA 2024: Time for talk is over – federalise and stateproof before it’s too late

FMF Principles_1

Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.

Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) this year is about the most advanced function the collapsing central government can pull off. The Free Market Foundation (FMF) urges South Africans to not allow themselves to be distracted: they must take responsibility for the well-being of their own families, communities, and themselves because the government is not coming to the rescue.

SONA has become irrelevant and is nothing but an attempt at distracting South Africans from the glaringly obvious truth that our government is in an advanced stage of collapse. Such a lavish event, in a climate of rampant unemployment, high violent crime rates, the failure of Eskom, and endemic corruption, proves that government only has the ability to keep up appearances. It cannot solve any of the real problems facing South Africans. ‘South Africans, their families, and communities are on their own,’ said FMF Head of Policy, Martin van Staden. ‘Only a small number of well-functioning municipalities and the Western Cape province are still capable of providing government services. Forget about the central government.’

Despite the fact that the centre has already buckled, many businesses and well-meaning citizens remain eagerly compliant with political edicts, even when it goes against their own interests.

South Africans should do everything in their power to stateproof themselves, thereby resisting attempts by the government to strip away their remaining freedom and responsibility.  

‘This includes minimising their tax liability as far as possible, voting for parties that favour free enterprise and limited government, and certainly, psychologically, withdrawing from the state the legitimacy it still unduly operates under,’ said Van Staden.

Subcentral units of government, like provinces and municipalities, that still have the capacity to govern well, must take the initiative, alongside the private sector, to bring about order and economic development.

‘They must not, and dare not, stand around waiting for corrupt and inept politicians in Pretoria to give them permission. Both the community federalism of the Solidarity Movement and the constitutional federalism inherent in the written Constitution must take centre-stage in the next era of South African politics,’ said Van Staden.

30 years into our democratic dispensation, it has become abundantly clear that the time of big government has come to an end.

Ends.

Press inquiries

Anneke Burns
FMF Publicist
0714230079 | press@fmfsa.org

***

SONA 2024: Tyd vir praat is verby – federaliseer en word staatsbestand voordat dit te laat is

Scroll up for English version.

Cyril Ramaphosa se Staatsrede (SONA) hierdie jaar is die mees gevorderde funksie wat die ineenstortende sentrale regering kan uitvoer. Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) moedig Suid-Afrikaners aan om nie toe te laat dat hul aandag afgelei word nie: hulle moet verantwoordelikheid neem vir die welsyn van hul eie gesinne, gemeenskappe, en hulself, omdat die regering nie tot hul redding gaan kom nie.

SONA het irrelevant geword en is niks anders as ‘n poging om Suid-Afrikaners af te lei van die duidelike waarheid dat ons regering in ‘n gevorderde stadium van ineenstorting is. So ‘n weelderige geleentheid, in ‘n klimaat van ongebreidelde werkloosheid, hoë geweldsmisdaadkoerse, die mislukking van Eskom, en endemiese korrupsie, bewys dat die regering slegs die vermoë het om die voorkoms te handhaaf. Dit kan geen van die werklike probleme waarmee Suid-Afrikaners te kampe het, oplos nie.

‘Suid-Afrikaners, hul gesinne, en gemeenskappe is op hul eie,’ sê Martin van Staden, FMF Beleidshoof. ‘Slegs ‘n klein aantal goedfunksionerende munisipaliteite en die Wes-Kaap is nog in staat om regeringsdienste te lewer. Vergeet van die sentrale regering.’

Ten spyte van die feit dat die sentrum reeds ingegee het, bly baie besighede en goedwillende burgers hunkerig gehoorsaam aan politieke diktate, selfs wanneer dit teen hul eie belange ingaan.

Suid-Afrikaners moet alles in hul vermoë doen om hulself staatsbestand te maak, sodat hulle weerstand kan bied teen pogings van die regering om hul oorblywende vryheid en verantwoordelikheid weg te neem.

‘Dit sluit in om hul belastingbloodstelling so ver moontlik te verminder, te stem vir partye wat vrye markte en beperkte staatsmag ondersteun, en mees belangrik, om in hul eie psiges die staat se onverdiende legitimiteit, waaronder dit steeds handel, te onttrek,’ sê Van Staden.

Subsentrale regeringseenhede, soos provinsies en munisipaliteite, wat nog die vermoë het om goed te regeer, moet die inisiatief neem, saam met die privaatsektor, om orde en ekonomiese ontwikkeling teweeg te bring.

‘Hulle moet nie rondstaan en wag vir korrupte en onbekwame politici in Pretoria om hulle toestemming te gee nie. Beide die gemeenskapsfederalisme van die Solidariteit Beweging en die grondwetlike federalisme wat inherent is aan die geskrewe Grondwet, moet die hoofrol speel in die volgende era van Suid-Afrikaanse politiek,’ sê Van Staden.

Na 30 jaar van ons demokratiese bedeling het dit duidelik geword dat die tyd van groot regering tot ‘n einde gekom het.

Einde.

Persnavrae

Anneke Burns
FMF Publisiteitsbeampte
0714230079 | press@fmfsa.org

Share

Fund the FMF

Help FMF to promote the rule of law, personal liberty, and economic freedom.

For more content like this, Subscribe to FMF

RELATED ARTICLES

WATCH OUR LATEST VIDEO

FUND FMF

Help FMF to promote the rule of law, personal liberty, and economic freedom.