Inflation climbing, but our political class keep their heads in a cloud

In the election or re-election campaigns the world over, politicians the world over have been speaking about the threat of inflation to their economies and the livelihood of the most vulnerable in society. Policy interventions (some smart and some not so smart) are being drawn up by their advisers to fight its impact in places such as Westminster, Washington and in Sao Paulo. I’m rather jealous of these discussions when each one of us considers what our political theatre pre-occupies itself with.

What policy intervention have you most recently heard from your favoured politician on an inflation rate that may officially sit at 7.6%, but we all know is much, much worse. I haven’t much to imbue any sense that the men and women that sit in parliament are considering even for just a moment the rising cost of living for everyday South Africans. 

Today, the South African Reserve Bank will yet again in all likelihood raise interest rates to fend off the rising tide of inflation — it’s the only tool they have. Upon that announcement it would be nice if the inboxes of the Mail & Guardian were flooded with statements from the leading political parties about the struggles of everyday South African. 

One can only be hopeful that our political class can stop with the cheap point scoring that has been their hallmark for more than a decade.