South Africa’s Deputy President David Mabuza on Thursday appealed to big business to help the government revitalise the national economy by promoting rural economies and small businesses in townships nationwide.
The deputy president said this in response to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Cape Town. The NCOP is a forum for the country’s traditional leaders to discuss issues affecting them nationwide.
Mabuza said that “as guided by the National Development Plan, the government is pro-rating implementation of programmes which target poverty and inequality and contribute to the agenda of growing an inclusive economy.
“We cannot be socially cohesive while our people reside in areas with minimal opportunities to realise full potential,” Mabuza said.
He said the programme prioritises investment in small and medium business enterprises through increased participation.
“For small businesses can unlock employment opportunities in townships and rural areas,” he said.
The South African government, with a US$100 billion rebuild plan, said it would concentrate on infrastructure development to resuscitate the economy to recover from the recession and the Covid-19 pandemic.
To achieve this goal, President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the private sector to work with the government in the exercise which is meant to create employment following the loss of two million jobs during the ongoing pandemic.
NM/jn/APA