By: Samkele Maseko

The young professionals took an initiative to discuss tax reliefs and the road heading to the national elections following the deliverance of manifestos by political parties.

“Why should everybody be equal?  Why must we force everybody to be equal? People have different aspirations,” questioned Dewald Pieterse an Engineer.
He added that he believes taxes are an unfair burden on the middle class.

“The people who actually pay the tax are the economically productive people. Instead of having the money to pay for their children’s education, the government takes that money and distributes it which creates people who are dependent on that so you have a worsening cycle,” said Pieterse.

Ayabonga Cawe, an economist, said that he has never accepted “this hard work argument” as it relates to the creation of wealth and its distribution. It says that someone who wakes up at 3 am on Orange Farm to get to Parktown and leaves at 6 pm to get home at 9 pm, that person works hard but not enough wealth is distributed to those people.

“I would like to see the government using the tax money positively and putting corrupt people in jail,” said Katharine Child, a journalist.

In a critical analysis of the Economic Freedom Fighters policies, Phindile Dhlamini, a consultant said that everyone has to look at the complete package.

“They need to look at credible solutions and long term sustainable policies and not once off hype,” she said.

“The EFF didn’t learn the lessons of USSR, Russia as a failed communist estate that broke up,” said Pieterse.

He added that Margaret Thatcher once said that socialism works until you have run out of somebody’s money.

“This country has made the most significant strides post colonization than any African country has made,” said Mukovhe Masutha, an Economic Geography & Social Entrepreneur graduate.

He added that in the health sector with HIV/AIDS policy and life expectancy, he can tell a lot about the building of the largest power stations in the world.

“Not enough people are educated in our country, majority of the black people are still living under poverty,” said Cameron Modisane who is an auditor currently doing his PhD.

“I will vote for a party that will leave me with the biggest chunk of my salary and instead of redistributing the money on my behalf as they see fit. One that will allow me to vote for the best value for money in every sector of life,” said Pieterse.

Cawe said that the president of the country always says “Yinde’ Lendlela”. It started in 1912 and its 2014 now, 102 years later. We still have not dealt with the primary question in this country which relates to the material distribution in the country. “On the 7th May, I’m nailing my red colours to the mast for an organization that is primarily dealing with the material inequality in this country,” he said.

“South Africans have a lot of conversations about political parties and not a lot of conversations on our responsibility for creating an environment where we feel empowered,” said Zama Ndlovu, a government planner.