President Cyril Ramaphosa said the parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) have agreed to put their differences aside and prioritise the needs of South Africans.
He said this emerged during the recently held two-day Cabinet Lekgotla in Pretoria. Ramaphosa was delivering the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) to a joint sitting in Cape Town. “In an act that is unprecedented in our democratic history, ten political parties represented here in our Parliament have agreed to craft a common programme to build a better, more equal and more
just South Africa. They have come together, despite their differences, because they share a commitment to a nation that is united, prosperous and inclusive,” said Ramaphosa.
In addition, Ramaphosa said cabinet will be convening a further strategy session to consider the Medium-Term Development Plan, which will translate these priorities into a detailed plan and interventions that government will implement over the next five years. Ramaphosa emphasized that the GNU has resolved to dedicate the
next five years to actions that will advance the following key three strategic priorities.
“Firstly, to drive inclusive growth and job creation.
Secondly, to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living. Thirdly, to build a capable, ethical and developmental state,” explained Ramaphosa.
According to the President, the plan also include help for struggling municipalities.
“Our municipalities must become both the providers of social services and facilitators of inclusive economic growth. They must work to attract investment. This approach can encourage businesses to expand and create more jobs in municipal areas. Investors are attracted to areas with reliable and modern
infrastructure,” said the President.
The GNU, according to Ramaphosa, want to turn the country into a construction side in the next five years by pursuing a massive investment in infrastructure.
He highlighted that significant projects are underway around the country in areas such as transport, roads, water, energy and human settlements.
“We will massively increase the scale of investment in infrastructure through a more holistic and integrated approach, positioning Infrastructure South Africa as the central institution of coordination and planning.
We are simplifying the regulations on public-private partnerships to enable greater investment in both social and economic infrastructure development,” said the President.
The GNU is adamant that these investments will lead to increased employment creation, especially for young people. The next five years will also witness enormous opportunity in renewable energy for inclusive growth, with the county blessed with some of the best solar and wind resources in the world.
“As we undertake a just transition towards renewable energy, South Africa must create a green manufacturing sector centred on the export of green hydrogen and associated products, electric vehicles and renewable energy components. We have seen, for example, how the Northern Cape has already attracted billions of rands of investment in renewable energy
projects,” said the President.
As South Africa grapples with high poverty levels and the cost of living, Ramaphosa assured the nation that the GNU will look to expand the range of essential food items exempt from value-added tax, will undertake a comprehensive review of administered prices,
including the fuel price formula, to identify areas where prices can be reduced.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa also assured the nation that equitable, accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare, will be high on the agenda of the seventh administration, over the next five years.
“As we implement the National Health Insurance, we will focus on strengthening health care infrastructure, improving training of health care personnel and using technology to improve health care management.
While there is much contestation around the NHI, there is broad agreement that we must draw on the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sectors to meet the health care needs of all South Africans equally,” said the President.
