10 bold ideas to free yourself from dependency on the government

The South African public sector is falling apart. Municipalities are going bankrupt and state-owned enterprises are failing to act on their service-delivery commitments. Even though this is indeed bad, the collapse of the public sector represents an opportunity for South Africans.

Each person has the potential to make a contribution towards building a new South Africa in the aftermath of public-sector collapse that renders the state less important. This article empowers you with the knowledge that’s needed to build this new country, where citizens are freed from the effects of ineffective government. 

1. Identify legal ways to lower your taxes.
2. Collaborate with community members to take ownership of service delivery, which could include things like fixing potholes and trimming the lawns in public areas.
3. Lobby municipalities to generate electricity independently from ESKOM.
4. Join the neighbourhood watch to keep your community safe.
5. Develop a skill that could be turned into a small business, so that you don’t have to stand in long queues for modest social grants from the government.
6. Play a greater role in your children’s education.
7. Use crowdfunding initiatives to build schools, hospitals and housing schemes for the community.
8. Donate to charities that focus directly on poverty relief in your area.
9. Join the local residents’ association and brainstorm creative solutions to the problems in your neighbourhood.
10. Support local businesses in your area to encourage entrepreneurship.

South Africans should use the collapse of the public sector as an opportunity to do more for themselves. The public sector and the politicians who preside over it are losing their relevance. There will come a time when there will be no option but to press on alone, without support from the government. The ANC has shown that it isn’t open to implementing significant reforms in the public sector, which means that the problems that are crippling it will likely continue. Communities would do better by relying on their own initiative and resources rather than on the collapsing state.

Cover image source available here.

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