Opposition parties that are not part of the government of national unity (GNU), chiefly the so-called Progressive Caucus, have dismissed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s opening of parliament speech as “a bunch of lies”. The caucus comprises the MK Party, EFF and ATM, among others.
Same old promises
According to MK parliamentary leader Dr John Hlophe, there was nothing that Ramaphosa said that was going to come to fruition. This is because he had made the same promises since coming into office in 2018.
Hlophe’s sentiments were echoed by EFF leader Julius Malema. They both said they were convinced that the DA in fact wrote the speech. That was because they (DA) were the most excited MPs inside the City Hall chambers.
“This was a waste of state resources because there was nothing new that the president said.
“It is very clear that the president has no plan to transform South Africa. He said nothing about international relations because that is the point of disagreement for this GNU. Nothing about the judiciary and nothing about the land.
“A pure lie that he created 2 million jobs. [Something] which we have never seen as the people of South Africa,” Malema said. He was reacting to the speech that was warmly received by parties within the GNU.
“If you look inside that parliament, the happiest people are the DA. Because it is the biggest winner out of this GNU sellout government,” he said.
Three key priorities
In his speech, Ramaphosa placed job creation at the top of the GNU administration. It has set for itself three key priorities for the next five years.
The other two priorities are to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living. As well as to build a capable, ethical and developmental state.
He said the resolve to tackle unemployment will go hand in hand with inclusive economic growth. This is out of the realisation that a growing economy creates jobs.
Among other things that the GNU government will do to create jobs, he detailed a few. The processing of raw minerals within the country before shipping them out as finished products.
Furthermore, the acceleration of the just transition. This is moving away from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and would create thousands of jobs, he believes.
BEE and SMEs to be encouraged
“We will continue to pursue programmes that encourage broad-based black economic empowerment, employment equity and support to small and medium-sized enterprises,” he said to the mesmerised DA benches, applauding non-stop.
“We will continue to protect and uphold the hard-won rights of workers. And continually strive to improve the conditions in which they work and live.
“Inclusive growth demands that we affirm the position of women and youth in the economy. It requires that we remove the social, economic, cultural and other barriers to the full participation of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in the economy.”
Ramaphosa said he had already instructed all departments to reduce the red tape. He believes it is a stumbling block to employment and economic growth.
“We also have a unique opportunity to position our country as a major player in the digital economy. [This will] create jobs in digital services.
“We will continue to work with stakeholders to develop and implement master plans. This in order to grow important industries, increase investment, create jobs and foster transformation.”
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