Okuqhubekayo kwezezimakethe eNingizimu Afrika
Zonke izinsuku eNingizimu Africa kukhona izinto ezintsha ezenzekalayo. Lezi zinto ziba nomthelela omkhulu kwezohwebo, nasezakhamuzini zaseNingizimu Afrika. Umbiko wakamuva weSouth African Consumer Index (SACI) uzishaye indiva izithiyo obekufanele ngabe zibe nomthelela omubi kakhulu kwezomnotho njengokwenyuka kwamanani entengo kawoyela, ukwenyuka kwentela iVAT nokunye. Kunalokho lo mbiko wakamuva utshengise ukwenyuka kwethemba kubathengi baseNingizimu Afrika yize noma umnotho usatshengisa izimpawu zokuntengantenga. Kulo mbiko ophume izolo ngokwenkampani yamabhange iFirst National Bank (FNB), kanye neBureau of Economic Research (BER) umangazile kakhulu njengalokhu utshengise ukwenyuka kwethemba kubathengi ngale kokwehla kancane kwethemba kubatshalizimali.
Ukwehla kokuthemba kubatshalizimali sekuqhubeke isikhashana njengalokhu sekuyizinyanga cishe eziyisihlanu zilandelana. NgoNhlangulana, izinkomba ngokwamaphesenti zibe ngama-93.7 kusuka kuNhlaba lapho bezingamaphesenti angama-94. Ngokwale mibiko yeFNB neBER ikhomba ukuthi kube nobungconywana lapho isikalimnotho (index) sitshengise ukuzinza ngamaphesenti angama-22 kusuka kwangama-26 ekuqaleni konyaka.
Kuzokhumbuleka futhi ukuthi, ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka wona lombiko weFNB neBER utshengise ukubuya kwethemba kubantu baseNingizimu Afrika emuva kokuthi ubuholi bezepolitiki bushintshene izandla, lapho sibone uMnu uRamaphosa ethatha izintambo zombuso nalapho futhi enze khona izinguquko kuKhabhinethi yakhe.
Lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhathi iNingizimu Afrika itabalasa ukukhulisa umnotho wayo ezingeni elifanele njengoba ukhula kancane. Okanti muva nje, kwehlile ukukhula komnotho ngamaphesenti angama-2.2 kusuka cishe kwamathathu. Ngesikhathi kwenzeka lokhu, isikaloqholo sabathengi esibizwa ngeConsumer Confidence Index (CCI), satshengisa ukwenyuka kakhulu okwafinyelela emaphuzwini angama-26 ezinyangeni ezintathu zonyaka ophezulu. Lokhu kwenyuka bekungaphezulu ngamaphuzu amathathu kwalokho obekwenzeka ngesikhathi umnotho waseNingizimu Afrika usakhula ngamaphesenti ayisithupha ngonyaka wezi-2007. Okanti ngonyaka wezi-2017, lesi sikaliqholo sabathengi, besingaphansi ngisho kwesilindelekile, lapho besingamaphuzu ayisi-8.
Yize noma lo mbiko usibonisa izindaba ezinhle, nokho ukuzabalaza kwabantu abaningi emazingeni aphansi, okungabasebenzi, abantu abangawutholi umsebenzi kusazoqhubeka eNingizimu Afrika. Kuzokhumbuleka futhi ukuthi yize umnotho wawukhula ngamaphesenti ayisithupha ngeminyaka yawo-2007, kodwa umnotho lona wabe uzikhulela nje wodwa ungakhiqizi amathuba alindelekile emisebenzi. Lokhu-ke bekusho ukukhula kwezikhwama zalabo abangomacaphuna kusale, kuthi labo abebevele bedla imbuya ngothi baqhubeke bantule kakhulu. Futhi okwabonakala ngalesi sikhathi sokukhula komnotho, ukwanda kwabantu ababizwa ngokuthi, iMiddle Class, okungabantu abakwazi ukuthenga nokuba nezinto ezaziwa njengezisezingeni labantu abathuthukayo bexhaswe yiwo umnotho njalo belu. Ngakho ukuzabalaza kwabantu, okubonakala kusazoqhubeka yize isikaliqholo siveza okunye, kudalwa ukwenyuka osekube nomthelela omkhulu nomubi olethwa ukwenyuka kwamanani ezinto ezifana nokudla, imali yokugibela kwabasebenzi ikakhulukazi abasebenzisa amatekisi, ukwenyuka kwenani lemali yezithuthi njengamabhasi nokunye, ukwenyuka kwentela yezemigwaqo, okuphinde kufunzelelwe ukwenyuka kwemali yentela iVAT, ukwenyuka kwemali kagesi nokukhokhela izinsiza ezilethwa omasipala, ukwenyuka kwamanani kawoyela osekulethe ukwenyuka kukaphethilomu cishe ngemali engamarandi amabili phakathi kwenyanga kaNdasa noNhlangulana kulo nyaka. Ngokombiko wakamuva we-Automobile Association (AA), sekuvelile futhi ukuthi la manani kaphethilomu asazonyuka kakhulu nangenyanga ezayo.
Nezinga lokungabi namisebenzi kubantu abaningi libonakala lenyuka kunokuthi lehle. Kanti nabasebenzi bakaHulumeni nezinkampani ezingaphansi kukaHulumeni obasebenzi bazo bafuna ukwenyuselwa amaholo njalo njalo. Konke lokhu yize kunethemba, kungase kulethe ukwehla kwalo iqholo leli, uma kungabinendlela yokunqanda, nokugwema izithiyo emnothweni.
Kamuva, sekuqale umkhankaso weziteleka ezihambisana nokukhononda ngokwenyuka kwentengo kaphethilomu eNingizimu Afrika. Kanjalo, nkunyakaza kwabantu abakhonondela ukwenyuka kwemali yeVAT ngokunjalo.
Nokho izinkomba ezinhle ezithokozisayo zakamuva, yilezo ezibonakale ngesikhathi uMengameli wezwe uRamaphosa evakashele i-United Arab Emirates (UAE), ngesonto eledlule. Ephahlwe zinqonyela zosomabhizinisi baseNingizimu Afrika okubandakanye oMnu uMotsepe nabanye, ushicilele isivumelwano semali eyizigidigidi ezilishumi zamadola ase-USA ($10bn). Le mali izosetshenziselwa ukwakha iziphehligesi ezizosiza ukuthi iNingizimu Afrika ibe nogesi ohlanzekile. Kuzokhumbuleka futhi ukuthi uMengameli uRamaphosa ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule uqoke ithimba alibiza ngokuthi elongoti elizomsiza ukunxenxa abatshalizimali bamazwe ukuthi bazotshala imali eningi eNingizimu Afrika. Phakathi kwabaqokwa kuleli thimba oMnu uMcebisi Jonas, uMnu uTrevor Manuel, uMnu uJacko Maree noNks uPhumzile Langeni. Okubalulekile lapha ubungako bemali okungenani eyizigidigidi ezili-$100 uMengameli afisa mabayilande eminyakeni emihlanu emazweni aphesheya nangaphakathi eNingizimu Afrika laba abaqokile. Njengoba seyilandilwe engangezigidigidi ezili-$10 e-UAE, sekuyacaca ukuthi kungase kusheshe ukuletha imali eningi ukwedlula leyo abeyihlosile uMengameli. Ekhuluma engqungqutheleni ebiKwaZulu-Natal eRichards Bay, enkulumweni eyandulela umhlangano woMengameli bamazwe eBRICS ozoba ngesonto elizayo. Lowo omele iNingizimu Afrika emazweni eBRICS, uDkt u-Anil uSooklal, ukubeke kwacaca ukuthi lesi sikalo esabekwa nguMengameli uRamaphosa semali azizigidigidi ezili-$100 kungathi kungakapheli ngisho iminyaka emihlanu sibe sesifezekile onyakeni owodwa nje vo.
Ukuqinisekise lokhu ngenxa yokuthi phakathi kwezinye izikhulu zamazwe omhlaba nomengameli; izwe laseChina lona lithe liza nemali eyizigidigidi ezingama-$30 kule ngqungquthela yeBRICS, ukuzoyitshala eNingizimu Afrika. Okanti owaseBukhosini baseSaudi Arabia uSheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, ukuvezile ukuthi uyalithanda kakhulu izwe laseNingizimu Afrika futhi uyafuna ukuzotshala izimali kulo. Nabase-India kanjalo bakuveze ngokucacile ukuthi nabo bazimisele ngokufanayo ukuze bakwazi ukungenisa ngayo ezwenikazi lase-Afrika, ikakhulu embonini yezemithi.
Konke lokhu kukhombisa izinkomba ezinhle eziholwa umengameli othathwa ngokuthi unolwazi olunzulu kwezamabhizinisi. Nokho impumelelo yale mizamo yonke isekubambisaneni okumele kube ngaphakathi, kuqala kwinhlangano ebusayo, ezinyonyaneni, abantu baseNingizimu Afrika bonkana ikakhulu abasebenzi, nosomabhizinisi baseNingizimu Afrika ikakhulukazi. Njengoba sazi ukuthi ukuza kwale mali kukuhle kunjalo, uma kungenayo imigomo ethile ezosiza ukwenza ukuthi kwakheke amathuba emisebenzi, bese futhi kuhlomula osozimboni hhayi kuphela bamazwe angaphandle kodwa abaseNingizimu Afrika, kuyofana nje nalokhu okwenzeka ngonyaka wezi-2007 lapho kwakhula khona kuphela umnotho, kodwa abantu baseNingizimu Afrika baqhubeka abangaba nemisebenzi kunalokho kwahlomula kuphela abaninizimboni nalabo abanamasheya ezinkampanini.