Outlining his plan to uplift South Africa’s negative economic growth, President Cyril Ramaphosa said his administration would focus on seven key points to achieve positive growth in the next 10 years.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Thursday, Ramaphosa said his government had placed as top priorities the country’s economic transformation and job creation, education and skills development and healthcare delivery.
Consolidating the social wage through reliable and quality basic services, spatial integration, human settlements and local government, social cohesion and safe communities, a capable, ethical and developmental state are also part of this top priority package, the president added.
He said his government’s decision to focus on these specifics took into account that his administration would not be able to do “everything at once.”
“But now is the time to focus on implementation (of what we can first). It is time to make choices. Some of these choices may be difficult and some may not please everyone,” Ramaphosa said.
“In an economy that is not growing, at a time when public finances are limited, we will not be able to do everything at once. All our programmes and policies across all ministries and agencies will be directed in pursuit of these overarching tasks.”
Ramaphosa said his administration would prioritise these key points which were identified during the May election campaigns, with jobs and an economy that is not growing being issues that rose “above all others.”
Ramaphosa told the nation that he had heard all the voters’ pleas.
“We have heard you. Through the elections held in May, you provided all of us with a clear mandate for growth and renewal,” he said.
NM/jn/APA