PROCRASTINATION A MAJOR UNDOING FOR THIS NATION

I have been thinking about the many interventions of this nation, be it the fight to eradicate poverty (something that I consider a pipe dream

however, as this is not capable of eradication except reduce or alleviate it), food security that has to do with production of food for our sustainance, or improving information technology infrastructure; and was amazed to see that the common denominator that appears to hold us back is, procrastination (putting off action to a later date or postponing action, if you like).

Why I say it is a pipe dream to think of complete eradication of poverty, is because our Lord Jesus Himself acknowledged the fact that poor will always be among just as the rich would remain a part of our society.
This I gathered reading His account when responding to Judas’ Iscariot’s claims that Magdalene was wasting an expensive perfume anointing Jesus when this would have been sold to get money to provide for the poor.

And the Lord in response to Judas said, “The poor you will always have among you.”
So, it seems that we will always have the poor among us, but our consolation is that we have the opportunity to make things better for them. The issue is not so much what we plan to do for the poor, but rather, when we do it. Timeliness is key.
I mean, we have heard in the PAC hearings how food would root in government storage just because it could not be distributed - people just postponed deliveries endlessly.

However, now we can only assume that with a dedicated unit of NDMA caliber, this could soon be a thing of the past - that is, as long as the habit of their line ministry is not going to rub onto them too.
The whole gospel of food security and comnercialisation of farming came during the Ninth  Parliament 2008 - 2013 and is being continued by the current administration.

Listening to the minister passionately talk about it in the recent indaba on this topic, I asked myself what has been achieved so far. I must be honest, I dont know.

Apart from very passionate pleas for people to engage in this industry that the minister believes surpasses all investments or ventures in terms of returns ( something that I choose to disagree with, knowing how other investments do), those government farms lying idle that were to be leased to farmers continue to lie fallow. On that basis no meaningful action or implementation has taken place in this direction. Procrastination has gotten the better of us, again.

ICT infrastructure and other plans associated with opening up the cellular telephony industry has not changed a bit since  2008, despite vigorous debates and undertakings by government to liberalise this sector.
And today, only today, is government engaged in looking at the broadband issue trying to review a study done on this in order to implement those recommendations.

Liberalisation of the sector remains a dream despite setting up the Communications Regulator, whose task was to licence players in the sector.
And dispite many prospective players showing interest in this sector, the doors to entry to this lucrative industry remain sealed.
And as that happens,  the only player in the telephony industry continues to fleece the populace.

I dont know whether to call what is happening in this sector, procrastination or simply blocking entry of other players into this lucrative industry.
However, the latter appears to be the case. I mean, to understand that one has to appreciate the millions that government through its entity SPTC is raking in from MTN, something that would be lost with liberalisation to other players with no government interest or stake in them.
The strategic fuel reserve facility that was to see close to a billion spent on it has stalled for some time, despite being rushed through Parliament.
Just like the SEC thermal power generation project whose costs have ballooned to E12 billion because of delays, we could see the strategic fuel reserve costing us double the initial estimates.
And all this would be losses to procrastination - and to say it is a major undoing for this nation is an understatement,  it actually is a disaster!
 

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