Siyabonga Hadebe | Friday, 1 September 2023
The place called South Africa is often lauded for itsimmense beauty and cultural diversity. But beneath its picturesque landscapes and rich heritage lies a complex socioeconomic reality. Stacked into two economies that present a sad reality, South Africa remains two countries that are a million years apart.
The developed and world-class side of the economy that was built on the backs of black labour and their oppression continues to thrive, and the ‘Burkina Faso’ side struggles to make ends meet. The recent blaze that took many lives in Johannesburg reflects how far South Africa remains the same: an apartheid society of inequality and oppression.
The country called South Africa today has long been a destination for job seekers from the hinterland, i.e., its underdeveloped interior and neighbouring countries. Thus, its economic model has always relied on extremely poor native reserves (Bantustans) and the weakened economies of its neighbours. From its birth, the South African state was designed to be supported by its desperate neighbourhood.
The recent fire and tragic deaths in an unsafe building in Johannesburg sheds light on a broader issue – the employment model that forces people to migrate to cities in search of better job opportunities. Such events would always be blamed on the victims who are said to defy the city’s bylaws to occupy unsafe buildings, but the problem goes far deeper than meets the eye.
This article delves into the interconnected issues of job migration, economic dependency, and the social implications for both South Africans and migrants, demonstrating how they are not separate problems but part of a larger systemic challenge.
□ The Allure of South Africa: A Job Destination
The colourful South Africa, with its well-developed infrastructure, thriving industries and perceived economic opportunities, has historically attracted job seekers from all over, including the neighbouring countries. This is not a new phenomenon but the migrant labour system has its roots in the discovery of diamonds and gold in the 1800s.
Some would even go back to the seventeenth century when the Dutch settlers brought slaves from across Africa and Asian colonies to the Cape of Good Hope. Together with the local population, these forced migrants were employed in homes and farms to support a burgeoning economy.
However, the mineral endowments in the interior transformed the country and the region from a net exporter of slaves to an importer of cheap labour. Aided by the end of slavery in the mid to late 1800s, South Africa welcomed millions to work in the mines, households, agriculture and industry.
Chartered companies that had been originally founded to exploit Mozambique and harvest slaves for the export market, such as the Companhia do Niassa and the Companhia de Moçambique, were repurposed to ferry cheap labour to the Witwatersrand goldfields. That is how a company like TEBA (Transvaal Native Labour Association) was born in 1903 to facilitate the recruitment of labour from Mozambique to the South African mines.
The exploitation of labour from Mozambique and the regionby the chartered companies and TEBA is a reminder of the dark history of colonialism and the slave trade. Today TEBA is owned by James Motlatsi after he acquired 75% of the company in 2005. This is a familiar story of how the Randlords, who exploited black workers and profited from apartheid, offloaded their chequered past to black individuals through BEE.
Owing to the perpetual stagnant nature of economies in Bantustans and neighbouring countries, this historical economic model has remained intact. The promise of employment, wages and a better quality of life lure many to make the difficult journey across borders and others to leave their places of birth to search for the pot of gold. This migration is not just a matter of individual choice; it is often driven by economic necessity and a lack of viable options in their places of origin.
□ Economic Disparities in the Troubled Neighbourhood
One key factor in the influx of job seekers into urban South Africa is the economic disparity that exists in the former Bantustans and the region. South Africa’s neighbourhood is extremely troubled and faces significant economic challenges, including high unemployment rates, limited access to quality education and healthcare and political instability. These conditions force many individuals to seek employment opportunities elsewhere, with old white South Africa being an attractive option due to its relative stability and economic prosperity.
South Africa’s labour market, like many others, comprises both formal and informal sectors. While formal employment opportunities do exist, a substantial portion of the workforce is engaged in the informal sector, which includes activities such as street vending, domestic work and small-scale entrepreneurship. For migrants, the informal sector often provides their only means of survival. However, this sector lacks job security, benefits, and legal protections, making migrants vulnerable to exploitation.
Utilising the core-periphery metaphor, South Africa’s traditional economic model has historically benefited from the economic struggles of its neighbours both within and without its borders. This dependency, while offering economic advantages to South Africa, also contributes to the cycle of migration and job-seeking that places people in precarious situations.
After 1994, there has been little or no effort to redesign the South African model. Like in the past, South Africa continues to boast a wealth of natural resources, including minerals and metals, that contribute significantly to its economy. However, the extraction and exportation of these resources have not always translated into widespread economic prosperity.
Instead, it has led to a situation often mischievously referred to as the ‘resource curse’, where the benefits of resource wealth are unevenly distributed, leaving many citizens in poverty and prompting migration to urban centres. A combination of old and new forms of greed means that individuals would rather assist the minerals-energy complex to perpetuate poverty and inequalities.
The interaction between the old minerals-energy complex and new players is responsible for loadshedding. The focus is now on extracting the critical minerals that are necessary for the so-called green industries and technologies, such as manganese and PGMs. The exclusion of the country’s majority, environmental degradation and exploitation of people continue unabated.
□ The Unsafe Building Tragedy
The recent tragedy of a fire in an unsafe building in Johannesburg serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of South Africa’s economic model and the migration it perpetuates. While the immediate blame may fall on illegal occupants of such buildings, it is essential to understand the deeper roots of this issue.
The individuals living in these unsafe buildings often have no alternative due to their economic circumstances. They are driven to occupy these precarious spaces out of desperation and a lack of affordable housing options. The hazardous living conditions make them vulnerable to fires, structural collapses and other dangers, highlighting the dire consequences of inadequate housing.
The informal sector, which many migrants are forced to rely on, plays a significant role in this tragedy. It creates a cycle of vulnerability as individuals working in the informal sector often lack access to affordable housing, social services and legal protection. The risk of exploitation and hazardous living conditions is heightened for this marginalised group.
Many people unjustifiably blame Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and others for the decay in central Johannesburg and other cities. However, it is crucial to recognise that South Africans themselves are not immune to the negative consequences of the employment model that requires migration to cities for better job opportunities.
South Africa has experienced significant urbanisation in recent decades, with millions of people moving from rural areas to cities in search of employment. While this has driven economic necessity and survival, it has also strained urban infrastructure, leading to issues such as overcrowding, inadequate housing and strained public services.
Opportunities remain close to subaltern classes, who are often treated as outcasts. DA leader Helen Zille in 2018referred to Eastern Cape pupils attending Western Cape schools as “education refugees”. In May 2023, Emalahleni mayor was attacked for allegedly saying people did notneed power as they did not own fridges.
While post-1994 South Africa opened but retained its exceptional apartheid character and antiquated economic model. The influx of job seekers from outside has intensified competition for employment opportunities in cities and towns. This explains tensions and social unrest, as the equally marginalised South Africans perceive migrants as competitors for scarce jobs.
South Africa’s role as a job destination for former Bantustans and neighbouring countries is undeniably intertwined with its economic model, which depends on the economic weaknesses of its troubled neighbours. Tragic events like the unsafe building fire in Johannesburg serve as painful reminders of the human cost of this system. However, it is essential to recognise that South Africans themselves are also victims of a model that promotes urbanisation and heightened competition for jobs.
Only by tackling the root causes of migration and dependency can South Africa move towards a more inclusive and sustainable future, where prosperity is shared by all, regardless of their place of birth. That remains a distant dream under toxic capitalism and its misdemeanours.
Siya yi banga le economy!