LOSS OF SKILLED SOUTH AFRICANS

Speech by Adv Z.L. Madasa MP
29thOctober 2002

This is a very important debate on the fight against poverty. It is common cause that the so – called brain drain mostly affect the rural poor, especially in the education and health sectors. To the rural poor even emigration to the cities has the same impact. It is also common cause that we as a country are experiencing acute lack of capacity to ensure adequate service delivery to the poor.

To understand and reverse this horrible trend of brain drain, we must address it in a comprehensive, honest and accurate manner.

Blame can and should be apportioned to both the government and individuals themselves for this growing phenomenon.

We must blame government if the cause for skilled people who want to remain in the country leave because of bad policies, bad laws and bad governance. We must blame the government where people leave for example purely because of crime. We must blame the government where doctors leave because of lack of adequate equipment and deteriorating working conditions in rural hospitals.

But there is a problem that is purely attributable to individual’s attitudes.

We must blame the individuals who are leaving because of racist attitudes either they cannot work under a Black government or it will surely fail. We must blame the individuals who have left or are leaving purely for opportunistic reasons, what you could call unpatriotic behavior.
But we cannot blame people who leave for selfish reasons because of better opportunities elsewhere. We are now part of the global economy therefore we must accept and expect people to leave for genuinely better opportunities. The latter category may actually turn out to be a long-term investment for the future and should not be discouraged.

The antidote for political emigrations is nation building and continued racial reconciliation. All South Africans must be made to feel welcomed in this country and not to be treated as aliens.

We must be intolerant to xenophobia so that foreigners willing to come and work here feel free to do so. We must give incentives in order to attract and/or retain highly skilled employees and professionals. In some cases parents can play a decisive role and persuade their children to stay in the country in order to build a better future for all. Where legislative reforms are necessary, the government must move swiftly to make changes. Lastly certain sections of the media can do more to promote the country instead of pulling it down.


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For further comment please call Advocate Mighty Madasa MP at 083 3024938 or ACDP Media Liaison Wesley Douglas at 082 4781037 or 021 403 3521