Can SA follow China?

ECONOMY: FREER MARKETS, VOLUNTARY TRADE PRINCIPLES WAY TO GO

- ZAKHELE MTHEMBU

Admiration has positive and negative elements.

It is common to hear South African politicians praise the developmental achievements of the People's Republic of China. This admiration is superficial because our politicians never emulate the developmental path of those they admire.

The shallow admiration has positive and negative elements. The downside is that while our leaders admire China's development, they are not inclined to replicate the strategies employed by the Chinese.

As evidenced by growth projections for the next few years hovering around one to two percent of GDP growth, the economy is struggling. The unemployment rate is a whopping 32.9% and, most concerning of all, the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 35 is 45.5%.