WeeklySA_AdminVOICE: South Africans must speak with one voice in defence of its Constitutional Democracy
By Monk Nkomo
South Africans should stand together as a united nation whose immediate task should be to grow their economy so that they can create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the lives of its communities, President Cyril Ramaphosa said this week.
In his State of the Nation address from the Cape Town City Hall, Ramaphosa, cited the Freedom Charter which he said set out a vision of a country in which the government was founded on the will of the people and where land was shared among those who worked it and where the people shared in the country’s wealth. A government where all were equal before the law.
‘’ It is this vision that continues to guide us as we work to build the nation that we want. We are not daunted. We will not be deterred . We are a resilient people. We will not be bullied even as we face the challenges of the rising nationalism, protectionalism, pursuit of narrow interests and the decline of common cause.’’South Africa, the President added, should unite and speak with one voice in defence of its national interests, sovereignty and constitutional democracy.
Political parties in the Government of National Unity had set aside their differences and agreed to work together for the good of all South Africans. Their most urgent task was to grow the economy so that they could create jobs, reduce poverty and improve the lives of all people. To undertake this task, the country needed a government that worked for the people.
The President said for many decades, South Africa’s economy has been held back by the exclusion of the vast majority of its people. Black South Africans were deprived of land, of capital, of skills and opportunities.’’ Our economy was starved of the potential of its people. That is why we have to transform our economy and make it inclusive.’’
The government’s focus would also be on empowering Black people especially women and persons with disabilities because they were deliberately excluded from playing a role in the economy of their own country.
‘’Through these programmes, we are not only righting a grave historical wrong. We are unleashing the potential of our economy for sustained growth.’’ Ramaphosa also touched on the importance of service delivery.
‘’ We need a State that is capable and competent, underpinned by a professional public service. South Africans want a State that treats all people with dignity, humility and respect. A State with leaders who are prepared to serve our people with complete dedication and public servants who are ethical , skilled and properly qualified.’’
In the last week, the GNU had adopted the Medium Term Development Plan which set out a clear and ambitious programme for the next five years. The actions contained in the plan included three strategic priorities – driving inclusive growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living and building a capable, ethical and developmental State.
The President lamented on the chaotic state of most of the country’s municipalities. In many cities and towns across the country, roads were not maintained, water and electricity supplies were often disrupted , refuse was not collected and sewage flowed in the streets.
In the past, this had happened because many municipalities lacked the technical skills and resources required to meet the people’s needs. Many municipalities had failed to reinvest the revenue they earned from the services they provided to maintain the infrastructure.
‘’ Starting this year, we will work with our municipalities to establish professionally managed and ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity services to ensure that there is adequate investment and maintenance.’’
Many of the challenges in municipalities arose from the design of the local government system. The GNU would now undertake extensive consultation to develop an updated White Paper on Local Government to outline a modern and fit-for-purpose local government system. They would also review the funding model for municipalities as many of them did not have a viable and sustainable revenue base.
Ramaphosa was also seriously concerned about the lack of water supplies in most areas around the country. Many people in the cities, towns and villages were experiencing frequent water shortages as a result of aging water infrastructure.’’ It is impossible to live without water and it is impossible for the economy of the country to grow without water. To date, the Infrastructure Fund has secured R23 billion for seven large water infrastructure projects .’’
Some of the issues he raised included :
• The setting up of a transformative fund worth R20 billion a year over the next 5 years to fund Black-owned and small business enterprises;
• Government to continue working with traditional leaders in the implementation of local developmental programmes;
• Investing in digital infrastructure to give South Africans access to government services through a relaunched gov.za platform;
• R38 billion has been approved to finance several projects including water and sanitation, student accommodation, transport, health and energy.
• Revitalising small harbours and unlocking opportunities for coastal communities;
• Strengthening the health system by building and renovating hospitals especially in Limpopo province.
• Launching of the Electronic Travel Authorisation system to enable a secure, fully digital visa application process;
• Focusing on state-owned enterprises like Eskom and Transnet to function optimally.
Ramaphosa also paid tribute to the 14 soldiers who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo recently saying they lost their lives in defence of the fundamental right of the Congolese people to live in peace and security. ‘’They lost their lives not in the pursuit of resources or territory or power. They lost their lives so that the guns on our continent may be forever silenced. We salute our gallant soldiers’’.
South Africa continued to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine, who, having endured decades of illegal occupation, were now experiencing indescribable suffering.
South Africa had acted in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention by instituting proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
‘’We are fully committed to the articles of the United Nations Charter, including the principle that all members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means. We support the principle of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states and peoples.
We continue to participate in the different peace processes seeking to bring about a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. South African delegations have been instrumental in developing a framework for negotiations towards a just peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter and international law’’.
Ramaphosa said South Africa continued to advance its agenda of cooperation and multilateralism through its membership of the United Nations, African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement and BRICS group of countries.
‘’As humanity confronts unprecedented challenges, we are determined that a reformed and representative United Nations must be at the centre of global affairs.
We will continue to push for progress on the reform of the UN Security Council into a more inclusive, more effective body that is able to ensure peace and security’’.
He called on all South Africans, united in their diversity, to come together in the National Dialogue to define a vision for this country for the next 30 years. ‘’The National Dialogue must be a place where everyone has a voice. It must be a place to find solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives. The National Dialogue must reaffirm that each and every one of us has a role to play in building the nation we want. While we may differ on many issues, we agree on one thing: that we need to build a better South Africa and improve the wellbeing of our people’’.
