With this year’s general elections successfully concluded, proving South Africa as a resilient, strong and vibrant democracy, it is now time to roll up our sleeves and get down to business.
The task at hand is to grow the economy and ensure that South Africans attain a decent standard of living by eliminating the triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The nation has spoken through the ballot; the country is preparing to inaugurate the fifth democratically elected President on Saturday who will form a government to lead the country towards development.
In this regard we are able to seize the opportunity as the National Development Plan (NDP) – our long term growth and development framework over the next 16 years - clearly details our course of action.
The plan enables the incoming administration to focus on implementation immediately after taking office. It informs the 2014 - 2019 Medium Term Strategic Framework, which will give departments precise targets for the next five years.
At the heart of the plan is the creation of opportunities and building capabilities that enable South Africans themselves to lead the lives they desire. It also enhances the capacity of the state and promotes partnerships.
The plan identifies improving the quality of education, health and nutrition, skills development, safer communities and innovation as key priorities. It singles out the provision of physical infrastructure such as schools, clinics, power stations and transport and moves us away from a paradigm of entitlement to one that draws on the energies of South Africans for our own development.
Government encourages all South Africans to familiarise themselves with the plan’s vision and objectives so that they can participate in its implementation. Let us engage the plan at every opportunity.
We call on our youths as the future leaders to make the Vision 2030 a part of their lives so they can help define the country they want to live in.
We encourage grades 10, 11 and 12 to study the plan as this will help them with their career planning, as they will understand the vision of the country.
Through our combined effort we will ensure its successful implementation. There is nothing more inspiring than working collectively to build our country.
President Jacob Zuma said: “We must continue working together to build the South Africa of our dreams. Informed by the National Development Plan, we must continue to build a South Africa which inspires people to achieve greater things for themselves and for their country.”
The development plan sets out ambitious goals for poverty reduction, economic growth, and transformation and job creation. The plan is in line with the New Growth Path and charts the way to faster economic growth, higher investment and job creation.
It aims to create an additional 11 million jobs and reduce unemployment to 6 per cent by 2030. The plan calls for expansion of the public works programmes, lowering the cost of doing business and matching unemployed workers to jobs.
The plan has mapped the route we need to follow and our performance monitoring and evaluation function will assist in keeping us on track.
However, government cannot achieve Vision 2030 on its own. We require partnerships with all sectors and call upon them to support the implementation of the plan.
Government welcomes the pledge by Business Unity South Africa to support the implementation of the plan. The pledge is a step in the right direction as the private sector has an important role to help us realise Vision 2030.
The effective implementation of the plan holds enormous benefits for the private sector and offers predictability and new investment opportunities.
There needs to be a high degree of collaboration between business and government for the plan to succeed.
Government has stated its commitment to the plan, and it is important that all sectors do the same.
The development plan offers an opportunity for united action because it has the support of South Africans across the political and cultural spectrum. It allows every South African to rise above sectional interests and pull together to take our country forward.
Phumla Williams is Acting CEO of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)
