Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Thoko Didiza,
Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Honourable Refilwe Mtshweni-
Tsipane,
Deputy President Paul Mashatile,
Former President Thabo Mbeki,
Former Deputy President and Former Speaker Baleka Mbete,
Former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka,
Former Chairperson of the NCOP Amos Masondo,
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo,
Deputy Chief Justice Mandisa Maya,
Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis,
Heads of Institutions Supporting Democracy,
Esteemed Member of the Order of Ikhamanga, Dr Esther Mahlangu,
Distinguished Guests and Eminent Persons,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Fellow South Africans,
We gather here in the province of the Western Cape in the aftermath of ferocious
and unforgiving storms that caused damage to homes, businesses and
infrastructure, affecting tens of thousands of people across the province.
In recent days, we have witnessed runaway fires in KwaZulu-Natal, in which 14
people, including six firefighters, lost their lives. The fires also caused the destruction
of homes, livestock and grazing land.
The thoughts of all South Africans are with all those people who have been
subjected to these terrible weather conditions as they work to recover and rebuild.
Honourable Members,
I have asked the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the
National Council of Provinces to convene this joint sitting to formally open Parliament
on a day that is full of meaning and significance.
Today, we celebrate the birth of the founding father of our nation and a global icon of
peace, justice and reconciliation, President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.
Across our country and across the world, millions of people are marking this day with
deeds of service and solidarity.
Through their actions they are giving life to a fundamental truth: that we derive our
humanity from the humanity of others.
Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. Motho ke motho ka batho.
Muthu ndi muthu nga vhangwe vhathu. Munhu yi munhu yi vanhu.
We are reminded on this day that we have a responsibility to each other; and that
our wellbeing and our happiness cannot be separated from those of our fellow
woman and man.
We are reminded that as we strive to progress and to prosper, we have a
responsibility to ensure that no-one is left behind.
We South Africans are a diverse nation, with different histories, beliefs, cultures and
languages.
Yet we are one people. And we share a common destiny.
It is this common destiny that the people of South Africa have charged this
Parliament and this Government to consolidate and advance.
Exactly 50 days ago, the people of South Africa went to the polls to decide the future
of our country. Ahead of the elections they had expressed their concerns and their
hopes, their wishes and their expectations.
Through their votes, they determined that the leaders of our country should set aside
their political differences and come together as one to overcome the severe
challenges that confront our nation.
They sent a clear message that without unity, cooperation and partnership, our
efforts to end poverty, unemployment and inequality will not succeed.
Guided by this directive from the people, political parties from across the political
spectrum have elected to establish a Government of National Unity.
In an act that is unprecedented in our democratic history, ten political parties
represented here in our Parliament have agreed to craft a common programme to
build a better, more equal and more just South Africa.
They have come together, despite their differences, because they share a
commitment to a nation that is united, prosperous and inclusive.
Through a Statement of Intent, the parties have made a firm commitment to respect
the Constitution and the rule of law and to promote accountability, transparency,
integrity and good governance.
They have agreed on a Minimum Programme as the foundation of the work of the
Government of National Unity.
The priority actions that arise from this minimum programme received the full support
of the recent Cabinet Lekgotla, which brought together newly-appointed ministers,
deputy ministers and premiers. Local government representatives, directors-general
and other key officials were also in attendance.
These are the priority actions that we outline this evening.
Cabinet will be convening a further strategy session to consider the Medium-Term
Development Plan, which will translate these priorities into a detailed plan and
interventions that government will implement over the next five years.
The Medium-Term Development Plan will set out a well-defined vision and strategic
plan that outlines clear goals and includes specific, measurable objectives and a
roadmap for achieving them. These goals will be properly aligned with the Budget,
which will support the implementation of these objectives.
In all this work, the National Development Plan Vision 2030 remains the defining
blueprint for our country’s growth and development.
We will also draw inspiration from the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 in crafting our Medium-Term
Development Plan.
The Cabinet Lekgotla underscored the determination of all members of the
Government of National Unity to work together to advance the interests of all South
Africans.
It noted with appreciation the commitment and great enthusiasm with which the
newly-appointed Ministers and Deputy Ministers as well as Premiers have embarked
on their duties.
Fellow South Africans,
Despite the achievements of 30 years of democracy, and the work undertaken over
the last five years to rebuild our economy and our society, millions of South Africans
remain poor, unemployed and live in a highly unequal society.
For a decade and a half, our economy has barely grown.
The circumstances of the South African people today require that we act together as
the Government of National Unity and all key role players in our country with great
urgency, boldly and decisively.
The Government of National Unity has resolved to dedicate the next five years to
actions that will advance three strategic priorities:
Firstly, to drive inclusive growth and job creation.
Secondly, to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.
Thirdly, to build a capable, ethical and developmental state.
We have decided to place inclusive economic growth at the centre of the work of the
Government of National Unity and at the top of the national agenda.
Our experience over the past 30 years has shown that when our economy grows,
jobs are created. When our economy contracts there is no job creation and jobs are
lost.
The Government of National Unity will pursue every action that contributes to
sustainable, rapid economic growth and remove every obstacle that stands in the
way of growth.
We are determined that growth must be inclusive. It must be transformational.
Inclusive growth must drive the redistribution of wealth and opportunity.
It must support the empowerment of black South Africans and women, and all those
who in the past had been relegated to the fringes of the economy.
This is part of the constitutional imperative to redress the imbalances of the past and
deal with the slow process of development.
Through empowerment and transformation, we can ensure that the skills,
capabilities, resources and energies of all South Africans are used to the greatest
effect.
We will continue to pursue programmes that encourage broad-based black economic
empowerment, employment equity and support to small- and medium-sized
enterprises.
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.
Inclusive growth 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.
We will support the growth of rural enterprises and invest in public infrastructure in
under-serviced areas.
We will increase funding to land reform, prioritise the transfer of state land and
improve post-settlement support by strengthening the institutional capacity of
responsible structures.
To achieve rapid, inclusive growth, we need to fix our struggling municipalities.
Growth happens at a local level, where people live and work.
Our municipalities must become both the providers of social services and facilitators
of inclusive economic growth. They must work to attract investment.
This approach can encourage businesses to expand and create more jobs in
municipal areas. Investors are attracted to areas with reliable and modern
infrastructure.
Simplifying and speeding up planning and regulatory processes can make it easier
for businesses to invest and operate in a municipality, thus creating more jobs.
As the national government, we have both a Constitutional responsibility and a clear
electoral mandate to assist municipalities in the effective exercise of their powers
and functions.
We will ensure that the institutional structure and funding model for local government
is fit-for-purpose, and that municipalities are financially and operationally sustainable.
We will put in place systems to ensure that capable and qualified people are
appointed to senior positions in municipalities, and ensure independent regulation
and oversight of the appointment process.
As an immediate priority, we will bring stability to governance in our metros and
restore the delivery of services.
We have already begun this work.
When I visited eThekwini earlier this year, I met with residents of the city, with local
business leaders and municipal officials.
They told me that they wanted to work together to build a city that they could be
proud of again.
We have since put in place the eThekwini Presidential Working Group to enhance
support from national and provincial government to turn the Metro administration
around, to fix the problems in water and sanitation and attract new investment.
We will extend the same approach to other metropolitan cities that face serious
challenges so that our cities can be engines of growth and dynamic centres of
opportunity.
In the next five years, working together, drawing on our collective capabilities, we will
forge a new inclusive growth path for South Africa by pursuing a massive investment
in infrastructure.
Significant projects are underway around the country in areas such as transport,
roads, water, energy and human settlements.
We will massively increase the scale of investment in infrastructure through a more
holistic and integrated approach, positioning Infrastructure South Africa as the
central institution of coordination and planning.
We are simplifying the regulations on public-private partnerships to enable greater
investment in both social and economic infrastructure development.
From our largest metros to our deepest rural areas, we have a clear intention to turn
our country into a construction site, as roads, bridges, houses, schools, hospitals
and clinics are built, as broadband fibre is laid and as new power lines are installed.
We must work to engender a culture of maintenance of public infrastructure, and
dedicate resources and establish systems to ensure this.
As the Government of National Unity, we are resolved to intensify our investment
drive, encouraging and enabling businesses to invest in productive capacity.
These investments will lead to increased employment creation for unemployed South
Africans especially for young people.
We will drive growth in labour-intensive sectors such as services, agriculture, green
manufacturing and tourism.
To create more jobs for South Africans, we will focus on processing our minerals so
that we export finished products rather than raw commodities.
We will pursue a smart industrial policy that focuses on the competitiveness of our
economy, and that incentivises businesses to expand our exports and create jobs.
We will continue to work with stakeholders to develop and implement Master Plans
to grow important industries, increase investment, create jobs and foster
transformation.
We are convinced that small businesses and the informal sector hold the greatest
potential for inclusive growth and job creation.
We will pay particular attention to supporting small- and medium-sized enterprises in
townships and rural areas. We will take economic activity to where most of our
people live so that more jobs can be created.
Red tape debilitates the creation of jobs. Every department and every public entity
has been directed to reduce the undue regulatory burdens that hold back businesses
from creating jobs.
We have demonstrated the value of public and social employment in creating
immediate work and livelihood opportunities.
The Presidential Employment Stimulus, the Expanded Public Works Programme and
other initiatives under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention have provided
income, work experience and skills development opportunities to many young
unemployed people.
We will expand and institutionalise these programmes so that more and more young
people can participate in job opportunities and skills development.
Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, we have been able to create nearly
2 million work and livelihood opportunities. We aim to expand the public works
programme exponentially to create more job opportunities.
We see great potential for growth beyond our borders.
As we strengthen economic diplomacy with our largest trading partners and potential
trading partners, we will prioritise the implementation of the African Continental Free
Trade Area to increase our exports to the rest of the continent.
We will do this as part of our foreign policy approach, which promotes peace,
security, democracy and development across Africa and advances a more just and
inclusive world order.
Over the next five years, we will seize the enormous opportunity in renewable energy
for inclusive growth.
South Africa has some of the best solar and wind resources in the world.
As we undertake a just transition towards renewable energy, South Africa must
create a green manufacturing sector centred on the export of green hydrogen and
associated products, electric vehicles and renewable energy components.
We have seen, for example, how the Northern Cape has already attracted billions of
rands of investment in renewable energy projects.
Work is underway to set up a Special Economic Zone in Boegoebaai to drive
investment in green hydrogen energy projects.
We already have a huge pipeline of renewable energy projects, representing over
22,500 MW of new generating capacity, estimated to be worth around R400 billion in
new private investment. Investments such as these will create many jobs.
Just this week, we saw the largest-ever private energy project connect to the grid
near Lichtenburg in the North West, with over 390,000 solar panels that will add 256
MW to the grid.
We will see more of these projects taking shape across our country in the months
and years to come. As these investments reach fruition more jobs will be created.
Our Just Energy Transition Investment Plan sets out a clear path to invest more than
R1.5 trillion in a just transition, including support for workers and communities in
Mpumalanga and other coal-producing regions.
South Africa is undergoing a renewable energy revolution that is expected to be the
most significant driver of growth and job creation in the next decade and beyond.
We also have a unique opportunity to position our country as a major player in the
digital economy and create jobs in digital services.
We will invest in digital identity and payments, expand access to affordable
broadband, and increase training for young people in digital skills.
As we pursue these new areas of growth, we will continue with the far-reaching
reforms that enable growth.
At the same time, we will launch the second phase of Operation Vulindlela, a
government-wide initiative that has been essential in supporting and driving reform.
In its second phase, Operation Vulindlela will focus on reforming the local
government system and improving the delivery of basic services, and harnessing
digital public infrastructure as a driver of growth and inclusion.
It will also focus on accelerating the release of public land for social housing and
redirecting our housing policy to enable people to find affordable homes in areas of
their choice.
We will complete the most consequential transformation of South Africa’s electricity
industry in more than a century.
Since the announcement of the Energy Action Plan in July 2022, we have made
tremendous progress in reducing the severity of load shedding.
Over the next five years, government will focus on expanding and strengthening the
transmission network.
To drive inclusive growth, we need an efficient freight rail network to carry our
minerals, agricultural produce and manufactured goods to market.
Through the implementation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap, we will continue with
reforms to transform South Africa’s freight logistics system.
The work we are doing with business and unions through the National Logistics
Crisis Committee has already contributed to improvements in the operational
performance of freight rail and ports.
The well-being of our people and the growth of our economy depends on the
availability of water.
South Africa is a water-scarce country, and our water security is threatened by
historical underinvestment in bulk water resources and distribution infrastructure.
We will therefore continue with institutional reforms in the water sector to enable
greater investment in bulk water infrastructure and better regulation of water services
across the country.
Just as businesses need water and electricity to operate, a growing economy needs
skills.
Where the skills we need are not immediately available, we need to attract people
with the appropriate qualifications and experience.
We will continue with the visa reforms introduced in the last few years to attract skills
and investment and grow the tourism sector.
We will continue to pursue a macroeconomic policy that supports growth and
development, in a stable and sustainable manner.
Like many other nations, we have had to borrow money to support our budgetary
requirements.
We will manage public finances with a view to stabilising debt. We are firmly
committed to steadily reducing the cost of servicing our debt so that we can redirect
funds towards other critical social and economic needs.
Our second strategic priority as the Government of National Unity is to tackle poverty
and the high cost of living.
An effective, integrated and comprehensive poverty alleviation strategy is necessary
to provide protection and support to the most vulnerable in society.
Even at a time when many companies are making large profits, millions of South
Africans are suffering as a result of rising prices.
As the Government of National Unity, we will look to expand the basket of essential
food items exempt from VAT and undertake a comprehensive review of administered
prices, including the fuel price formula, to identify areas where prices can be
reduced.
Asset poverty is one of the underlying causes of abject poverty, which exacerbates
the high cost of living amongst our people.
The provision of title deeds for land and subsidised housing provides people with
assets that they can use to improve their economic position.
Income poverty is also one of the underlying causes of poverty.
The best way to deal with poverty is for people to have jobs. We have however made
interventions to support the unemployed through a variety of interventions including
during Covid when we introduced the SRD Grant.
The SRD Grant has provided a lifeline to millions of unemployed people.
We will use this grant as a basis for the introduction of a sustainable form of income
support for unemployed people to address the challenge of income poverty.
We must ensure that local governments properly implement the indigent policy so
that the old, the infirm and the poor are able to get assistance with the payment of
basic services.
Importantly, we will link social assistance with other forms of support to lift people out
of poverty.
As a country, we need to appreciate the impact that a well-functioning and quality
education system has on both reducing poverty and driving inclusive economic
growth.
We will therefore focus on achieving universal access to early childhood
development, which is a prerequisite for improved learning in later years.
We will ensure schools are conducive to education, with enough classrooms, safe
and appropriate sanitation facilities, clean water and a daily meal for those who need
it.
To ensure that we produce the skills that our economy needs, we will expand
vocational and technical training in schools and post-school institutions, and take a
demand-led approach to skills development.
An important task of the next five years is to ensure that we also reduce the high
cost of living through ensuring that everyone in South Africa has equal access to
equitable, accessible and affordable quality health care.
As we implement the National Health Insurance, we will focus on strengthening
health care infrastructure, improving training of health care personnel and using
technology to improve health care management.
While there is much contestation around the NHI, there is broad agreement that we
must draw on the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sectors to
meet the health care needs of all South Africans equally.
In implementing the NHI, we are confident that we will be able to bring stakeholders
together, and that we will be able to resolve differences and clarify
misunderstandings.
With so many people living far from economic opportunities and services, transport
costs take up a large part of people’s income and drive up the cost of living.
An immediate priority is therefore to complete the recovery of the passenger rail
network across the country to enable people to travel from outlying areas to city
centres.
Around 80 percent of commuter rail corridors are now back in operation, and nearly
300 vandalised stations have been refurbished, providing safer and more efficient
services to commuters.
The third strategic priority of the Government of National Unity is to build a capable,
ethical and developmental state.
We will proceed with the work already underway to professionalise the public
service, ensuring that we attract into the state people with skills, capabilities and
integrity.
We will continue to fight corruption and prevent undue political interference in the
administration of the state.
In this administration, we will complete the work to restore the financial position and
operational performance of our state-owned enterprises.
We will complete the implementation of a new centralised ownership model for
SOEs. This will improve accountability, transparency, governance and oversight,
while reducing inefficiency and the potential for corruption.
The establishment of a state-owned SOE holding company will give us greater
capacity to build a sovereign wealth fund.
This has been done successfully by other countries whose sovereign wealth funds
have built up capital from the high performance of the state owned enterprises rather
than from the fiscus.
To tackle crime and corruption we must have capable, sophisticated and
independent law enforcement agencies that can fight complex and organised crime.
We will deploy modern technology to assist crime fighting. A data-driven approach
will be used to identify violent crime hotspots and inform the allocation of policing
resources alongside prevention measures.
We will continue to tackle priority crimes like illegal mining, gang violence, cash-in-
transit heists and the construction mafia through specialised police units.
We will continue to implement the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence
and Femicide, and expand victim support services, like the Thuthuzela Centres and
GBV desks in police stations.
Honourable Members,
Thirty years ago, President Nelson Mandela stood before this House to reflect on the
first 100 days of the first Government of National Unity.
Recognising the different views of the diverse parties within the government, he said:
“What brings us together is the overriding commitment to a joint national effort to
reconcile our nation and improve its well-being.”
The same may be said of the Government of National Unity that has now been
established by ten of the parties represented in this Parliament.
We share a commitment to reconcile our nation by advancing social justice and
equal prosperity for all.
We are committed to improve the well-being of our country and its people through
inclusive growth, the creation of jobs and the reduction of poverty.
This is an undertaking that involves us all.
On the occasion of the Presidential Inauguration, I made a commitment that we
should work together to hold a National Dialogue to discuss the critical challenges
facing our nation, and to agree on what we all need to do to achieve a better future
for this great country.
Across society, people have expressed their support for this National Dialogue.
They have said it should involve all key stakeholders in the life of our country,
representing civil society, traditional leaders, the faith-based sector, labour, business,
cultural workers, sports people and other formations representing the diverse
interests and voices of our citizens.
Following the example set by historic events, such as the Congress of the People in
1955, the Conference for a Democratic Future in 1989 and the CODESA talks in the
early 1990s, and drawing on the experience of the writing of our new democratic constitution in 1996, we envisage a National Dialogue that involves extensive and
inclusive public participation.
As we have done at many important moments in our history, we will seek to forge a
common vision and build a comprehensive social compact with a clear programme
of action to realise our aspirations for the country.
Through this National Dialogue, we are called to be agents of change, to be
champions of inclusive growth, to be creators of opportunity.
A few years ago, a diverse group of partners and stakeholders from across society
came together to consider various scenarios for the future of our country.
These were called the Indlulamithi Scenarios 2035.
One of the scenarios they described was called ‘The Recrimination Nation’, using the
loud Hadeda bird as its symbol.
This described a situation of inaction, where our country’s problems go unresolved,
and where everyone blames each other for South Africa’s ills. This scenario painted
a picture of our country going into decline.
The second scenario, symbolised by a vulture, painted a picture of a desperate
nation governed by a populist coalition whose main objective is self-enrichment and
patronage.
This scenario saw investment confidence being eroded, the growth path being low
and unemployment, poverty and inequality remaining extremely high.
They also described a scenario they called ‘The Cooperation Nation’, symbolised by
the social weaver birds.
This scenario paints a picture where after disruptions and protests there is a coming
together of political parties, the state, private sector and civil society in order to jointly
identify priorities and leveraging the strength of each.
There is change in the form of governance and reform that leads to the economy
growing, with more investment attracted, leading to the reduction of unemployment,
inequality and poverty.
By establishing the Government of National Unity, by preparing for a National
Dialogue, we have deliberately set ourselves along the path towards a ‘cooperation
nation’.
We would like all of us as South Africans to behave like ‘weaver birds’. Weavers are
among the most gregarious birds in that they build complex structures together and
cooperate.
Despite all the challenges, despite our differences, despite all the headwinds, as
South Africans we are called upon to remain firmly committed to pursue the path of
cooperation, growth and inclusion.
Earlier today, a group of South African climbers reached the summit of Kilimanjaro,
the highest peak on the African continent.
They did so in honour of the birth of Nelson Mandela and to celebrate the 30th
anniversary of our freedom.
Known as Trek4Mandela expedition, these climbers have been joined by others from
several countries around the world to help to keep girls in school by raising funds for
sanitary products and other needs.
Let their actions inspire us all.
Let their achievement remind us that, as the South African nation, there is no
mountain we cannot climb and no peak we cannot reach.
I conclude by remembering and paraphrasing the words of Martin Luther King Jr,
when I say:
Let us rise up tonight with greater readiness.
Let us stand with a greater determination.
And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge, to make
South Africa what it ought to be.
We have an opportunity to make South Africa a better nation.
May God bless South Africa and protect its people.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.
I thank you.
