Dr. Imtiaz Sooliman calls for reform amid municipal infighting

Gift of the Givers founder and CEO, Imtiaz Sooliman, has warned that indecision and infighting among municipal leaders are costing the nation dearly. “We’ve seen municipalities fail because they can’t make a decision and 65 million people pay the price because three or four guys can’t get along,” he told editors and senior staff at Independent Media's offices on Tuesday.

He welcomed commissions and enquiries that expose wrongdoing in both government and business. “There are still people in government who are taking bribes under the table but corporate guys also inflate their prices to government,” Sooliman said.

He also highlighted the often-overlooked dedication of honest public servants. “Government then seems to be the bad guy but we fail to see how many good guys there are. When we say that government is corrupt, we’re destroying the souls of these good people. When we say that public healthcare is bad, we are hurting those who are really committed. Many of these good guys are under-resourced and over-worked but remain committed and want to change things around,” he said.

He praised police officers who risk their lives for justice. “The same can be said for the cops where they are willing to put their lives on the line to stand up for what is right and to take a stand for justice. The problem is that good guys don’t talk while bad guys make the most noise. Now, these commissions are giving a voice to the voiceless and allowing them to stop being afraid.”

Sooliman warned of a leadership vacuum at the top. “It looks like sentiments are changing. Leadership is about having someone to set the example for others to follow. There is a leadership vacuum and lots of the top guys have been compromised but we tend to focus on the negative."

He reflected on Mandela’s government of national unity as an example of inclusive leadership: “When Mandela brought in a government of national unity, he didn’t exclude anyone. He utilised existing civil servants and brought in all the parties. It worked well and our economy grew. Unfortunately, today it’s about outdoing the other guy and a country just can’t work like that."

Calling for structural reform, he suggested centralising government and reducing the lower tiers. “I would like to see us do away with the nine provinces, have one set of government and cut out all the ministries. Firstly, we would need to get the right guys at SARS, make sure that the taxes from the R9 billion informal economy comes to us and focus our attentions on procurement and delivery."

On safety and security, Sooliman said: “We need to get rid of the guns and take out the mess."

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