Cape Town - From transforming the economy to creating decent work and improving conditions in the mining sector, President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address, on Tuesday night, has been received with vigour, by several of his Cabinet colleagues.
Ministers who spoke to SAnews expressed satisfaction over the pledges made from the speech, saying the address highlighted the urgency of what needs to be done to socio-economic problems facing South Africa, 20 years after the country attained its democracy.
Mines
Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi welcomed President Zuma’s statement that government would implement the undertaking to build housing and other services to revitalise mining towns, as part of the October 2012 agreement between business, government and labour.
“That is where the root of problems might be. We need to address the socio-economic challenges faced by mining towns and mining workers themselves.
“I’m very pleased about the commitments we will be undertaking to address the challenges that we are having in the mining sector. I’m working with a team of other ministers to bring about stability in mining and to improve the quality of life for miners. What the President’s speech did today was to emphasise on certain actions that will have to be done,” Minister Ramatlhodi said.
Earlier, President Zuma also said given the impact of the labour relations environment on the economy, it was critical that social partners meet to deliberate on the violent nature and the duration of the strikes.
Minister Ramatlhodi said: “We believe labour relations need to be strengthened. We have sound labour relations practices in this country and we will continue to ensure that relations between workers and employers and indeed government are continuously improved.”
Encouraging investment
Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said his highlights of the speech were on the emphasis to address the constraints that hamper economic growth and investment to South Africa. President Zuma said over the next five years, government will prioritise support to small business, as well as township and informal sector businesses. The energy sector will also have to undergo major structural changes to support faster economic growth.
“What the President has acknowledged is that there are constraints that are preventing us from bringing about structural changes to the economy. I am glad that the energy constraint is being given particular attention.
“We need regular supplies of energy and I think that is the direction we ought to be taking. We also need to drive our economy to a much more value added space and we need to create more opportunities for entrepreneurs in that regard which is why there is a new ministry with a particular focus on that,” Minister Davies said.
For Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, the speech gave a meaning to the National Development Plan (NDP), the document that contains proposals to reduce poverty and unemployment by 2030.
“The economy centre stage, infrastructure, jobs and industrialisation, this was really a speech that gives effect to the NDP and its focused on delivery”.
Support for the NDP
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said the NDP needed a programme of action to support it, saying tonight’s speech by the President provided that programme.
“The President has got his team ready to roll. The Treasury will be there and when we get down to business, at least we have an implementation plan in place. Even with the fiscal constraints that we have, we can achieve most of these plans. We just need to prioritise our resources where they matter most.”
Taking SA forward
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, whose department managed to improve the matric pass rate to over 75 percent over the past five years, said the speech was “high level” and focused on things that would take the country forward.
“Almost all his focus was on high level things. The key levers of our economy, getting these things right, the economy … we will move South Africa forward,” said a determined Minister Motshekga. – SAnews.gov.za
