Why Citizens Should Protect AGOA (African Growth & Opportunity Act)

Copyright © 2022 PJ Stassen

All Rights Reserved

▌INTRODUCTION.  According to the ‘Office of the United States Trade Representative’:     “Since its enactment in 2000, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) has been at the core of U.S. economic policy and commercial engagement with Africa. AGOA provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for over 1800 products, in addition to the more than 5 000 products that are eligible for duty-free access under the Generalized System of Preferences program … by providing new market opportunities, AGOA has helped bolster economic growth, promoted economic and political reform, and improved U.S. economic relations in the region.” ▌RIGOROUS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATING IN AGOA. Still quoting the abovementioned source, the requirements for participating in AGOA are as follows: ►A market-based economy. To qualify for participating in AGOA, countries must establish or make continual proress toward establishing a market-based economy. You decide whether the policy excerpt below (from the official website of the Tripartite Alliance’s partner, the SACP) de-monstrates a move toward a market-based economy:    “The South African Road to Socialism" (SARS 2012) was adopted at the SACP`s 13th National Congress in July 2012. It builds on the programmatic perspectives of the 2007 SARS programme from our 12th National Congress.”     Bear in mind that this SACP policy statement was adopted during the 13th ANC National Congress in 2012 despite the fact that AGOA was enacted by the U.S. in 2000, 12 years earlier. Does this prove to us (i) an ANC commitment to a move toward a ‘market-based’ economy’ and a sincere commitment to the African Growth and Opportunity Act? Is there no ‘my word is my bond’ honour in the ANC’s pledge to move to a market-based economy when, after 12 years, it formally reaffirms its allegiance to ‘socialism’ at the 13th ANC National Congress? ►The Rule of Law. Looking back over the last 23 years, has the situation with the ‘Rule of Law’ in South Africa in the meantime improved or worsened? The answer is obvious; think about such ‘milestone’ events as the Guptas’ Waterkloof landings, the Nkandla and Saxonwold sagas, the demise of our SOEs and critical state infrastructure, the R1000million Zondo Inquiry into State Capture, the 2022 KZN lootings, the Phala Phala dollars saga etc. ►Political Pluralism. Does the reader think that the ANC’s practice of cadre deployment and the reservation of the most lucrative positions in government and in SOEs for members and pals of its Tripartite Alliance a genuine commitment to ‘political pluralism’ when, as recently as 2017, the SACP has written:    “The SACP must have Deployment and Accountability Committees at national, provincial and district levels whose role is to ensure maximum possible deployment and accountability of our cadres in various responsibilities in both the state and outside the state. These structures must aim to also strengthen the capacity of SACP cadres to perform well in the widest range of their deployments, while at the same time ensuring accountability and answerability to the Party.”           [‘The South African Road to Socialism’. SACP, 13th Congress, 2017. Online] ►The Right to Due Process. The former president’s repeated appeals to higher courts ever since the Arms-deal (Thales) case and Saxonwold sagas can, I suppose, be used as proof of ‘the right to due process’. ►Eliminate Barriers to U.S. Trade & Investment. Are the high crime figures in SA and the ANC’s pathological obsession and flirtation with Putin’s Russia not serious barriers to U.S. investment and trade? Could the estabishment of a Minimum Wage Law, a law that discourages matriculants, all school leavers and the unemployed in general to ev er find jobs, especially at the entry-level ppositions, ever be cited as an effort by government to remove barriers to employemt and consequently, to investment? ►Poicies to Reduce Poverty. Are they seriously going to invoke the ‘Social Grants’ as their claim to fame for combating poverty in the face of dysfunctional job-inhibiting Minimum Wage (and other) laws? ►Policies to Combat Corruption. The Zondo Inquiry has cost citizens close to R1000million; is the ANC really committed to combating corruption considering the slow pace of addressing the Zondo Report recommendations (for state capture) reform in ANC ranks? ►Policies to Protect Human Rights. The ‘SA Constituition’ could be possibly be cited as a case in point; however, how doe sit pan out in daily life. Are human rights being protected in SA? ▌CONCLUSION. Technically speaking, South Africa has been in breach of both the letter and the spirit of the AGOA contract already since 2012 when it reiterated its polilicy of a recommitment to 'SOCIALISM', and not to the required 'MARKET-BASED ECONOMY', with the following statement: “   The South African Road to Socialism" (SARS 2012) was adopted at the SACP`s 13th National Congress in July 2012. It builds on the programmatic perspectives of the 2007 SARS programme from our 12th National Congress.”     In other words, the current government wants its bread buttered both sides: It wants all the privileges, perks and dignity associated with a Constitution founded on a Constitutional Democracy, i.e., like the support and cooperation from MARKET-BASED ECONOMIES of the West  but, at the same time, refuses to renounce the dysfunctional, dystopian ideology and policy commitment to the SOCIALISM of its colonial masters and ideologues Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Leon Trotsky as personified today by Russia and China (as in 'BRICS').       AGOA must be protected because governments do not create jobs; the private sector does. The more a government lapses into the paying of social grants and civic projects to 'employ the unemployed' (in other words, burden the taxpayer with more taxes) the bigger trouble it is in and the more the private sector should be freed and unleashed to create the jobs so badly needed. Protecting AGOA will help do just that. The best that SOCIALISM has ever been successful at  was to spend the wealth that a only market-based economy could create. ✋                                       MEDITATIONS & CONTEMPLATIONS Straight out of Joburg! (click)