ActionSA said it “offers cautious endorsement” of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Opening Parliamentary Address (OPA) on Thursday night.
It said the president’s emphasis on inclusive economic growth and empowerment “is commendable, as it aligns closely with our goals at ActionSA”, going so far as to say Ramaphosa may have taken pointers from the opposition party’s own policies.
‘Common-sense measures’
ActionSA’s Parliamentary leader Athol Trollip said the address marked a “significant shift in the government’s approach” compared to Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address (Sona) in February.
“The language and policies now reflect what ActionSA has been advocating for years, including maintaining state infrastructure and employing competent, qualified personnel,” said Trollip, who was the party’s premier candidate for the Eastern Cape before the elections.
“So, it would appear that the President took the time to read and extract inspiration from ActionSA’s Policy Document.”
However, Trollip said the shift begs the question as to why these “common-sense measures” were not implemented earlier.
Trollip said while ActionSA applauds the government’s nod towards sustainability at a local level, clarity on how this will be achieved should be shared.
“The emphasis on inclusive economic growth and empowerment is commendable, as it aligns closely with our goals at ActionSA.
“The intention to release state land, provide post-settlement support, and foster rural development is a positive step towards job creation in rural areas. However, there is thin credibility to this claim.
“The promotion of public-private partnerships is another point of contention. Recognizing their potential, we must also criticize the government’s historical failure to deliver on such initiatives.”
Key omissions
Ramaphosa had, however, omitted critical issues such as the country’s international reputation, the greylisting due to financial mismanagement, and pervasive corruption.
“These areas are vital to restoring trust and credibility on the global stage to attract investment,” Trollip said.
He said while the generation of green energy, including wind and solar, was acknowledged, “there are persistent challenges with Independent Power Producer (IPP) licensing” that hinder the integration of renewable energy into the grid, and keep affordable energy and economic growth “a distant dream”.
Furthermore, while it was good to improve SA’s freight rail network, ActionSA believes the root causes of its decline should be addressed.
“Similarly, investment in bulk water infrastructure, such as building dams and ensuring efficient water reticulation, is met with scepticism due to the government’s lack of credibility in delivering large-scale projects.”
Efforts should also be made to enhance the integrity of SA passports internationally and to form a concrete strategy to deal with illegal immigration.
“The promise of affordable access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) is directly lifted from ActionSA’s manifesto.
“While we appreciate the government’s adoption of this policy, we question the execution and follow-through.”
‘New money wand’
Trollip said it seemed the government had discovered a “new money wand” judging from the financial aspects of new policies, which do not correlate with its broad budget cuts.
Cadre deployment appears to have been set aside while ActionSA’s Opportunity Fund seemed to be rebranded into the government’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, Trollip claimed.
“While we welcome the change in terminology, we stress the importance of ensuring that such funds are managed independently, transparently, and effectively to truly benefit our economy,” said Trollip.
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