Despite celebrating three decades of democracy, many South Africans continue to live below the breadline.
Delivering the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) on Thursday at the Cape Town City Hall, President Cyril Ramaphosa said for the last 15 years, the economy has barely grown.
“Despite the achievements of 30 years of democracy, and the work undertaken over the last five years to rebuild our economy and our society, millions of South Africans remain poor, unemployed, and live in a highly unequal society,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa said the role of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and key roleplayers is to act together with great urgency, boldly and decisively.
“The GNU has resolved to dedicate the next five years to actions that will advance three strategic priorities; to drive inclusive growth and job creation, to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living and to build a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
“We have decided to place inclusive economic growth at the centre of the work of the GNU and at the top of the national agenda.
“Our experience over the past 30 years has shown that when our economy grows, jobs are created. When our economy contracts there is no job creation and jobs are lost,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the GNU will pursue every action that contributes to sustainable, rapid economic growth and remove every obstacle that stands in the way of growth.
“We are determined that growth must be inclusive. It must be transformational. Inclusive growth must drive the redistribution of wealth and opportunity. It must support the empowerment of black South Africans and women, and all those who in the past had been relegated to the fringes of the economy. This is part of the constitutional imperative to redress past imbalances and deal with the slow development process,” Ramaphosa stated.
He said experience over the past 30 years has shown that when our economy grows, jobs are created.
“When our economy contracts there is no job creation and jobs are lost,” he said.
Ramaphosa added that the GNU will pursue every action that contributes to sustainable, rapid economic growth and remove every obstacle that stands in the way of growth.
-IOL Politics
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