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Developing a Sustainable and Just Economy
in Post-Apartheid South Africa

The South African economy is now characterized by extensive state intervention, control heavily concentrated in the hands of a small number of individuals, the exclusion from its benefits of the majority of the nation's people, a high level of exploitation of human and natural resources with consequent degradation of those resources, and a high level of dependence on a relatively small pool of products for export earnings. It has been said that the South African economy exploits all available resources. Sustainability as a value has been largely irrelevant. Discussion about changes in that economy, whether reformist or revolutionist, has occurred along the capitalist-socialist spectrum, with the emphasis on control and equitable distribution of wealth. The factor of sustainability has been largely absent, and the issue of justice for future generations has also received little attention.

Massive changes long and bloodily fought for by the black majority, other South Africans of good will, and many in the international community are now under way. TOES 1990 will make a significant contribution to the discussion of what shape the post-apartheid South African economy will take and how to begin implementing such a design. Issues to be addressed include:

• Which are the priority industries?

• How can the nation restore the strength of the rural sector?

• How to halt and reverse environmental degradation (an issue not widely recognized in South Africa)?

• How to provide decent living conditions for the millions of drastically (and deliberately) underprepared people, who are now ready for little more than unskilled labor, while they are given no opportunity to improve their ability to participate in and contribute to the economy?

• How can available resources be effectively allocated to all of the urgent needs of the heretofore deprived millions of people which must be met immediately: adequate food, housing, health care, education and basic infrastructure (without so disrupting the economy that further dislocations are created)?

Organizers:

• Bart Rousseve, New York, NY (deceased).
  
• Winifred Armstrong, 400 Central Park West, Apt. 5P, New York, New York 10025; e-mail: wa400cpw@aol.com; co-author: The Development of African Private Enterprise.
  
• Gary Stuard, Houston, Texas.
  
• Jew Don Boney, Houston, Texas.
  

Other Speakers:

• Max Sisulu, African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, economist based in Lusaka, Zambia.

• Beneva W. Nyamu and Omewali Lithulu, Houston Citizens concerned about South Africa.

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