President Cyril Ramaphosa has convened a Cabinet Lekgotla with leaders from all spheres of government - to review government’s progress on priorities, assess challenges and set the agenda for the seventh administration.
Addressing members of the media on the agenda of the two-day meeting, Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said government was finalising the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024/2029.
The plan proposes three strategic priorities, which include inclusive growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, as well as building a capable, ethical and developmental State.
“We are focusing on the practical actions that we need to take to make good on the promises that we have made and set practical timeframes so that we can realise the priorities of the MTDP.
“We also received a scene-setting report from National Treasury on the economic outlook and the global outlook -- trends that will inform government planning.
“We are looking at what we want to achieve in terms of reforms on global institutions, in particular the security system of the United Nations and global funding institutions,” the Minister said on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the Cabinet Lekgotla.
Other areas of focus include funding Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and the “missing middle”, in reference to students whose household income is too high to qualify for National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) funding, yet too low to afford tertiary education without financial assistance.
The Cabinet Lekgotla is taking place on 29 and 30 January 2025 at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, in Pretoria.
The outcomes of the meeting will shape government’s policies and programmes that will be announced by the President during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on Thursday, 6 February 2025, at 19:00.
With the seventh administration being under the Government of National Unity (GNU), which comprises 10 political parties from across the spectrum, Ntshavheni emphasised that the meeting will prioritise the interests of the country.
“We are meeting as the GNU and we are not bringing party political interests. We are going to negotiate and discuss as members of Cabinet and representatives of provinces, which are represented by Premiers.
“We work for the best benefit of our country and not the best benefit of our parties. The engagements are on the level of us being members of the national executive,” Ntshavheni said.
South Africa’s term for the Group of Twenty (G20) presidency also features on the meeting’s agenda.
“As we are preparing to host the G20, we will receive a report on the logistics and the content on government goals for the summit,” the Minister said.
South Africa holds the G20 Presidency from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025, under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability” .
South Africa's G20 Presidency is the fourth consecutive emerging market Presidency, and it is also the first African Presidency, followed by the admission of the African Union (AU) as the second permanent African member.
The G20 was established to tackle pressing global economic and financial issues. Together, G20 members account for around 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade.
The G20 comprises 19 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States, and two regional bodies, namely the European Union and the African Union.
The grouping plays a critical role in influencing global policy making and fostering global economic stability. - SAnews.gov.za
