Rising interest rates and the cost of living deal a double blow to the poor. (Photo by MARCO LONGARI / AFP)
South Africa has emerged from a past that left the country with many psychological scars. Healing this wound has focused on redress and forging a united nation through culture, sports and so on, but with mixed results. Our national symbols have been promoted, including constitutional values, to help shape a common national identity. But, what will unity feel like as South Africans in 2023, after 28 years of democratic rule? How has the level of attitude been shifted in a positive direction? Do the values enshrined in the Constitution find increasing expression in the changing behavior of the general public?
A quick look at the World Happiness Report 2022 reveals a surprising answer. South Africa can be seen falling in the happiness rankings – in 91st place out of 146, with a score of 5.19 – below the global average of 5.59 and lower than Finland’s highest at 7.8. The ranking shows the evaluation of current life satisfaction for each country, averaged from 2019 to 2021.
Today, the well-being and happiness of the country is considered very important, surpassing economic progress, output and prosperity. There is much more to consider than just measuring GDP per capita to determine life satisfaction. Social cohesion is considered a critical ingredient for people to live together meaningfully and harmoniously; it is also important for social progress, well-being, happiness and overall development.
In South Africa, social cohesion is needed as part of the remedy for the suspects: unemployment rates, poverty, inequality, crime, corruption and gender violence. The narrow definition of unemployment was recorded at 33.9% in Q3, 2022, and South Africa is the most unequal society in the world, according to a World Bank report. Millions of South Africans cannot survive without credit. In fact, 95% of low-income individuals surveyed engage in debt financing to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and transportation. And excessive debt is compounded by high levels of crime, corruption and alcohol and drug abuse.
Social cohesion also seems important to restore trust between, in particular, the affluent and the poor, who are the majority. Trust is an important element of social cohesion because it increases economic exchange, improves the efficiency of public institutions and encourages civic participation, strengthens the democratic process, and reflects a sense of ownership and solidarity to achieve common goals. In South Africa, this is explained through the concept of “ubuntu”, meaning “humanity for others”, which is reflected in our Constitution.
However, as we know, the country is not well organized and service delivery is poor. Trust in government, political parties and other institutions is low. The latest Afrobarometer poll shows that trust in parliament stands at 27%, while trust in the president stands at 38%. And only 36% trust the South African Electoral Commission.
In fact, trust as a concept is problematic in South Africa. The findings of the extensive GovDem Poll commissioned by the Inclusive Society Institute at the end of 2021 show that, apart from high levels of trust in families, worrying trends persist in all other areas. While South Africans have a fair amount of trust in their neighbors (62.27%), they do not trust people they do not know. A 47.1% only indicated that they trusted people from other religious groups. And only about 50% of the minority community trust people from the black community. Then again, alarmingly, only 41% of black South Africans trust or trust their white peers, compared to just 39% for their colored peers and 35% for South African Indians.
What also emerges as a surprising trend is the lack of trust that South Africans have in foreigners – just over 30% trust in immigrants from African countries and abroad. In the political sphere, the majority of South Africans do not trust their colleagues who do not belong to the same party.
Furthermore, education, another key component to ensure social cohesion, continues to produce negative results, even though South Africa has one of the highest per capita costs on the continent.
As the governing party loses its authority and ability to maintain order, there are increasing calls for change, for a new value system. But unlike before, where the goal was to defeat apartheid and bring democracy, today the call is for the execution of a competent and fair state. This new system will see social cohesion more than moral “regeneration” or nostalgia for an idealistic past that never existed. It will be inspired by the humane values of a caring society.
To achieve this, individualism and greed must be eradicated. Too often, the system of incentives is exaggerated and distorted and the display of wealth is exaggerated. Unfortunately, this is the dominant value that spreads media like social media and images globally by influencers and persuasive and powerful personalities.
This must be fought to be consistent with values such as fairness, justice, respect for the rights of others, and the importance of solidarity and helping the less fortunate in life. The Covid-19 crisis shows that this is possible. We need to build on this and the acts of kindness and solidarity shown by most people every day.
Nelson Mandela embodies these values and inspires others to become active citizens who undertake this transformation through their daily actions. Indeed, to face the contemporary crisis, we cannot sit back and wait for another generation of leadership, we must act according to the values of the Constitution. Through the difficult years, many have shown that they can be a united force without losing their individuality.
There is no single universally accepted definition of social cohesion. In fact, a purview of the literature on the subject reveals that the term has many definitions around the world, depending on the context and country, each with unique challenges and responses to overcome.
However, there is a common thread: the quality of social cooperation and collective togetherness – defined in geopolitical terms – expressed in the attitudes and behaviors of its members, giving individuals a sense of belonging to a common community. It is the capacity of society to ensure the well-being of all its members, reduce disparity and avoid polarization.
The 2030 National Development Plan puts social cohesion at the center of South Africa’s socio-economic transformation agenda to promote ubuntu, trust, tolerance, social interaction, inclusion and solidarity in communities and society in general. The country’s motto is “unity in diversity”, a concept that harnesses this transformative energy and character traits to promote relationships between people, regardless of background, status or color.
The strength of any nation is its people and there is recognition that South Africans and their will and resilience in the face of adversity show promising potential, which must be mobilized and channeled for the collective good of the country, so that, together, we can create a higher level of sustainable growth.
More mixed neighborhoods closer to city centers and workplaces should be created as part of developing a more inclusive nation. National unity is necessary to achieve equality, justice and development. Ethical leadership at all levels of society and in all organizations, along with better governance and service delivery, is essential to restoring faith in public affairs. The level of trust in leadership and institutions must urgently increase to combat cynicism in the political process and increase civic interest, participation and accountability of all.
We still have a long way to go in rooting and deepening social cohesion in South Africa, but with the necessary will, it can be achieved. There is an urgent need to engage in meaningful dialogue on many difficult issues. Through this type of engagement, deliberation and civic action, leaders who recognize the needs of the people will emerge and a national voice will be born. Uniting in this cause and speaking with one voice should be the holy grail of every South African.
This article draws on the content of the forthcoming Inclusive Society Inclusive paper entitled ‘Promoting Social Cohesion: Getting Symbolism, Action and Rhetoric Right’. Daryl Swanepoel is the CEO of the Inclusive Society Institute.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official policy or position Mail & Guardians.