FORUMS
Brand SA Forum: Reflecting, Rebuilding, and Reassuring.
Covid-19 redirected a lot of people’s dreams. Jobs were lost, people were retrenched, cars and houses were repossessed and savings were drained. A lot of conversations have been had on the way to rebuild the nation and after the looting that started in KZN and made its way to some parts of Gauteng; the word ‘’rebuilding’’ seemed like just another verb government has continuously used to silence the concerns of the South African citizens.
Brand SA held a Nation Brand Forum that looked at reflecting, rebuilding, and reassuring the citizens of the country in coming up with ways to forge a new economy in this new global reality. Held at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday, 28 September 2021, the forum boosted a room full of ministers, deputy ministers, chairpersons of organisations, CEOs, record label owners, and journalists to name just a few.
The issue of rebuilding the economy is set to be an uphill battle, filled with politicians shift blaming but never really holding their counterparts accountable. With investors contemplating the worth of investing in South African, it is a critical time we see ourselves in, particularly the Arts and Culture sector alongside the health sector. Speakers came with their insights, prepared speeches, which some left us with more questions than answers.
In a climate where politics has a hand in everything, it becomes utterly difficult to understand whether what was said was authentic and on its way to implementation or is it another ‘’smooth operation’’ to put South Africans at ease. Speaking on the preservation of artists and the financial difficulties they have faced during this pandemic; nothing was really said about the predicament they have seen themselves in. There hasn’t been any solutions on the long-awaited R300 million that was meant to be distributed to artist in the last 18 months of the pandemic, leaving artist to call for the step down of the Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
Dealing with the reality of tourism, an average South African earns around R3 500, it is very difficult to imagine an ordinary South African traveling their own country on the little that they earn. When asked what is being done to help South Africans enjoy their country and help promote their country in terms of reducing the local rates; Mr. Blacky Komani, the Deputy CEO of Tourvest; ‘’locals must be realistic in their need to travel South African and look harder for cheaper rates.’’ A bold statement given that there are thousands even millions of South Africans who have never been to Durban nor Mpumalanga, let alone Cape Town even though they live in and around those cities and provinces.
Highlighting the questions surrounding women in sport and the reasons in which why Banyana Banyana players allegedly have to take leave from their corporate jobs in order to play for the national team, and why female sports are rarely promoted with the same enthusiasm as the male sports; Mrs. Muditambi Ravele, who is the founder of and CEO of South African Women and Sports Foundation who has also had a seat at tables within the Cricket South Africa, Tennis South Africa and Netball South Africa to just mention a few said; ‘’more is being done in the promoting female sports but also it is the media initiative to playball in helping to promote it.’’ She also said that ‘’federations are failing female sports organisations, by not telling them about upcoming events in order to help market and promote them.’’
The conversations surrounding medical schemes and public hospitals is one that needed more than just 45mins. The pandemic put an even harder strain on public facilities that left nurses and doctors paralyzed with exhaustion. Even though Dr Ryan Noach, the CEO of Discovery Health spoke on the efficiency of public hospitals and ‘’how he has had exceptional help for these said facilities’’, the statement felt like a slap in the face for an ordinary South African who has to wait hours to get help or who has to be turned back because the hospital is lacking in medical equipment’s such as sonars, blood pressure machines and something as simple as dressing pads for burnt patients.
Although Brand SA held a very informative forum, a lot was left unsaid and a lot of questions were left answered due to the time constraint. Rebuilding South Africa will take time but I think the government should also redirect their power in implementing the solutions they continuously come up with and also restructuring those who are found to be unfit to run for office.
Comments
Post a Comment