It is hardly surprising - eighteen months away from the 2009 election - to see media comments about the state of our province and country intensify to the point of conclusive analyses.

Naturally, the story differs with the speaker. On the one hand, there are accounts of a burgeoning black middle class, boosted with reports of empowerment deals, astronomical bonuses paid to senior corporate or even government officials, easy new wealth, and raising expectations. On the other hand, there is news of crippling poverty and plummeting levels of income for the masses living under the bread line.

The system is readily charged with being hugely biased in favour of the rich, the well-connected and well-educated. Yet this is an accusation circulating more or less in every society around the world, no matter how egalitarian.

In South Africa the question of wealth, or poverty for that matter, continues to be intertwined with race. South African whites are being constantly picked on for being too rich and privileged, while most of them actually feel painfully reminded every day that economic opportunities are closed to them.

Whereas blacks are supposed to only seize the many opportunities available to them, most have never seen such opportunities come their way.

Yes, the dice are loaded in favour of the rich and well-connected, but too often these are mere mediocrities with so-called struggle credentials and, more importantly, ruling party connections. What perpetuates this obviously unfair bias is the reality of economic over-regulation and social distortion created by racially- motivated legislation.

Luckily, these wounds are largely self-inflicted and can be easily rectified once a new ethos enters the public discourse. This usually happens with a change in government. The eighteen months that separate us from the 2009 election will give us all, irrespective of race, an unqualified opportunity to ponder whether such a change has become desirable.

Dr Lionel Mtshali MPP
Leader of the Official Opposition

Contact: Dr Lionel Mtshali, 083 256 4902