PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ANC 100DAYS GNU @KASIBCNEWS
Leadership of the African National Congress, Leadership of the Alliance and broader democratic movement, Comrades, Friends, Fellow South Africans, One hundred days have passed since the members of the Government of National Unity were sworn into office.
The establishment of the GNU was a historic occasion, bringing together into one administration parties from across the political spectrum. As we mark this milestone, we reflect on the progress that has been made since South Africans went to the polls on the 29th of May this year.
We reflect on the work that has been done to implement the mandate from the people for transformation, inclusive growth and jobs.
On this occasion, we commend the people of South Africa for turning out in their millions to vote in conditions of peace, fairness and stability. The elections results sent a clear message to the ANC and the nation.
The results showed that, while acknowledging the progress made during the first three decades of democracy, citizens are deeply concerned about the state of the country. They are concerned about an economy that is neither growing nor inclusive.
They are concerned about unemployment, poverty and continuing inequality. Through the election, voters expressed their concerns about the delivery of basic services and the quality of governance. Importantly, the people of South Africa also sent a clear message about the state of the African National Congress. They said that our movement needed to give full meaning and effect to renewal and rebuilding. While many recognised that progress has been made, we have not gone far enough. They are not convinced that the advances we have made will not be reversed. Amid these challenges, we thank the 6.5 million voters who placed their confidence and trust in the ANC to continue to lead the fundamental transformation of our society.
We thank our volunteers for their tireless campaigning for the ANC under difficult conditions. We thank the members and leaders of the ANC for coordinating the campaign on the ground. We thank our Alliance partners and other progressive formation for their support during the election campaign. As the ANC, we have acknowledged that the outcomes of the 2024 election were a strategic setback for our movement. It was the first time since the event of democracy that the ANC did not achieve an outright majority at national level.
However, as the party that received the most votes nationally and in seven provinces, we had to show leadership and act in the best interests of our country and its people. We had to explore governance arrangements that would ensure that we can continue to defend the gains of freedom.
We had to ensure stability, we had to advance transformation and we had to address the concerns of citizens. We agreed that an inclusive government of national unity held the best prospects to move the country forward. We saw this as an opportunity to work with other political parties to address the challenges that confront South Africans. It is an opportunity to mobilise across society and across political difference to build a country that truly belongs to all who live in it, black and white.
It is an opportunity to take forward the struggle to build a society in which all our people may prosper and thrive. We thank all the political parties who agreed to be part of this journey, who came together, acting in the interests of the country.
We went into the GNU knowing full well that we have significant ideological and political differences with some of the parties. We knew there were fundamental issues on which we differed and that were bound to be tensions and strains. But we also know, from many decades of experience, that the ANC has the strategic clarity and the political capacity to work alongside a wide range of forces in pursuit of progressive goals.
Ultimately, the GNU should not be judged by the political orientation of the parties that constitute this administration, but by the impact that it has on the lives of poor and working class South Africans.
Since the elections, South Africans from all walks of life have rallied behind the objectives, programme and work of the new GNU. Both as individuals and through their various formations, they have made a commitment to work alongside government to build an inclusive economy and a fair and just society.
The people of South Africa have demonstrated their support for the principles and the minimum programme that is contained in the Statement of Intent signed by all the parties to the GNU.
This Statement of Intent describes the essential features of our national agenda for the next five years. It provides a platform for the continuation and the intensification of the fundamental transformation of our economy and our society.
The GNU has identified 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 and ethical developmental state. These priorities are closely aligned with the six priority areas of ANC 2024 Manifesto.
The 100 days since the establishment of the GNU have seen a marked improvement in confidence among South Africans. Sentiment among business people and investors is positive. The prospects for the growth of our economy are greatly improved.
We have entered a new era of promise and hope. V3 This is not just based on wishful thinking, but on real progress that has been made since the election. We have made important progress on the first priority of the ANC manifesto, which is a jobs plan to put South Africans to work.
During the 100 days of the GNU, government has been working to expand and institutionalise the Presidential Employment Stimulus, the Expanded Public Works Programme and other initiatives under the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.
These programmes continue to provide income, job opportunities and skills development for young people. We have signed the Public Procurement Act, which includes set-asides for women, youth and persons with disabilities. Our Manifesto said that we would protect and uphold the hard-won rights of workers. We said we would continually strive to improve working and living conditions.
During the last 100 days, the Department of Employment and Labour has undertaken a proactive programme of inspection of workplaces. This is to ensure that they comply with labour legislation, the minimum wage and safety conditions, and that all employees have the correct documentation. It is wrong that so many workplaces visited, including large companies, have such a lax approach to the rights of workers and our labour laws.
We have done much work in giving effect to the second priority of our manifesto, which is to build an inclusive economy through industrialisation and infrastructure development.
As part of our response to the devastating impact which COVID 19 had on our economy, we put in place an Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (ERRP) during the 6th administration, so as to deal with its impact, as well as some of the other constraints on growth and reconstruction. Working with our social partners, we are beginning to see the green shoots of an economy on the road to recovery. Through the effective implementation of our Energy Action Plan, the country has now had 200 days without loadshedding.
We have made important strides in the reform of our electricity sector to make it more competitive and sustainable. Other developments include the agreement between Eskom and Sasol on exploring the country’s gas requirements, ongoing investments in renewable energy and work to mobilise investment in our transmission network.
We have launched the second phase of the partnership between government and business to undertake focus actions in energy, logistics, crime and corruption, and employment.
This partnership has already played a key role in reducing the severity of load shedding, in improving the performance of our freight rail and port operations, and in improving the capabilities of our law enforcement agencies going forward. We are also making progress on other economic reforms that were begun during the sixth administration.
Building on the work of Operation Vulindlela, the Minister of Home Affairs recently gazetted new work visa regulations that will make it easier to attract skills and investment, grow tourism and create jobs.
The new rules will protect the jobs that South Africans need while attracting skills to those areas of the economy where they are most needed. As we engage with business, we continue to emphasise the need to invest in productive capacity so as to create jobs.
Our industrial policy is being implemented with renewed vigour. We have increased our focus on export-led industrialisation using the African Continental Free Trade Area and our other global partnerships. We continue to pursue a macroeconomic policy that provides an enabling environment for the economy to grow, while reducing public debt to sustainable levels.
Over the last 100 days, inflation and interest rates have been on a downward trend. We have recently signed into law legislative amendments that provide improved protection of the rights of communities who are part of communal property associations. As an important of our land reform agenda, the law makes it clear that land will be owned by residents who are members of associations and not by the associations themselves. On the third priority in our Manifesto – to tackle the high cost of living – we are beginning to see some relief for consumers on the prices of basic goods.
We have seen a reduction in the petrol price, due in part to the strengthening of the Rand. While there has been a decline in some food prices, the Competition Commission has noted that the cost of food for consumers has not fallen at the same rate as the decline in the cost of producing food.
The school nutrition programme, which provides over 9 million children with a daily meal, remains an important food security intervention. We welcome the measures by the Department of Basic Education to consider an additional breakfast meal, as well as work underway to strengthen delivery of the programme.
Government continues to provide the SRD grant to around 7 million unemployed people. Alongside other social grants, this provides essential support to those people who need it most. We call on government to expedite work to ensure that the proposals on moving from the SRD grant towards a basic income support grant can be presented to Cabinet. Another area of progress, which has a direct impact on the cost of living, is the restoration of our commuter rail lines. To date, around 80 percent of all passenger rail corridors have been returned to operation.
By March this year, 40 million passengers were using public trains, nearly three time more than the year before. We have been working on priority four of our Manifesto, to invest in South Africa’s people and provide quality basic services. In the last 100 days, we signed the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. Among other things, the Act provides for early learning foundations to be strengthened, promotes greater accountability of parents for their children’s learning and promotes inclusivity in the classroom.
This new legislation aims to ensure uniformity and fairness in educational standards between schools and across the country.
We are confident that the two clauses of the Act that further consultations will be resolved soon, so that we can all concentrate on the critical issue of improving schooling. We are pleased with the concerted efforts by the Minister of Higher Education and Training to address the challenges of NSFAS, so that students can concentrate on their studies, rather than worry about their next meal.
The signing of the National Health Insurance Act is an important step towards universal health coverage. The current focus is on improving the public health facilities and putting in place the requirements for the creation of a National Health Insurance Fund.
At the same time, we continue to engage with all stakeholders to ensure that we achieve equitable health for all sooner, rather than later. Several Ministers have been working with provinces and local government, in the spirit of cooperative governance, to resolve the issues of basic services and debt faced by municipalities. At the same time, we will continue to make efforts to ensure that ANC deployees in local government are responsive to cries of citizens about basic services, and work together to resolve problems.
On the fifth priority of our Manifesto, we are continuing to defend and advance democracy and freedom. South Africa’s march towards a society that is united, non-sexist, non-racial, democratic and prosperous continues. We continue to protect and advance the rights of the vulnerable in our society, including children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
We are committed to upholding the rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. October is Pride Month. We congratulate Soweto on the 20th anniversary of its Pride March and welcome the pride marches across the country that are raising awareness of the rights of the LGBTQIA+ communities and the need for all of us to fight against homophobia. The emancipation of women remains one of the cornerstones of the society we wish to build.
We celebrate achievements like the appointment of the country’s first female Chief Justice. At the same time, we must intensify our efforts to end gender-based violence and femicide. We must reduce and ultimately remove the gender pay gap. We must work together to reverse the recent dip in the representation of women in Parliament, the Executive and local government.
We welcome the vigour and systematic manner with which the Minister of Police, the SAPS and the criminal justice system as a whole are moving to tackle crime and corruption. We welcome the cooperation that is taking place with communities, business and private security companies on effective crime prevention strategies. We are making headway across the criminal justice system in our fight against corruption, from prosecutions to disciplinary action and recovery of monies.
We continue to implement the recommendations of the Zondo Commission, including through the enactment of legislative reforms.
We will keep the pressure on. We will leave no quarter for those who seek to steal and divert public resources. We made a commitment to build an accountable, ethical and professional public service. We can see progress through the leadership of institutions like the Public Service Commission, Auditor-General, the Public Protector and the National School of Government. As part of the sixth priority of the Manifesto, we are working to build a better Africa and world. Much of our international engagements over the last 100 days have been about expanding economic diplomacy.
We have been working to open up additional market access for our goods, through AGOA, BRICS+ and through bilateral relations with several other countries. Our commitment to multilateralism and reform of the global governance and rules architecture is unwavering.
We welcome the adoption of the United Nations Pact for the Future, which sets out a clear path for global peace and development. We continue to place the African Agenda at the centre of our foreign policy. We will continue to support the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and other initiatives of Agenda 2063.
Over the last 100 days, we have continued on the path of solidarity and justice for the Palestinian people.
We will soon present our submission to the International Court of Justice in support of the case we have brought against the State of Israel for the crimes of genocide that it continues to perpetrate against the Palestinians in Gaza.
We are deeply concerned about the intensification of the onslaught against the people of Gaza and now the people of Lebanon. We call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance, and the start of negotiations towards a just and lasting settlement. Climate change increasingly is more than a future prediction, as we’ve seen with our own experiences of extreme weather. This means that we must do more to mitigate and adapt, but also more effectively coordinate our disaster response, as government and as citizens. One hundred days do not seem like a long time. But it is a significant milestone to gauge whether we are moving in the right direction and whether we are doing things differently and with more purpose.
Our reflections show, that although our challenges are enormous, there is a collective commitment to work together to tackle these challenges. There is a firm commitment to advance towards a building a better life for all. We should always remind ourselves of the words of the African freedom fighter, Amilcar Cabral, who would have turned 100 this year, when he said: “Always remember that the people are not fighting for ideas...
The people fight and accept the sacrifices demanded in order to gain material advantages, to live better and in peace, to benefit from progress, and for the better future of their children.”
Our country has entered a new era, full of challenges, risks and possibilities. As the ANC, we are determined to seize these opportunities to advance the needs and interests of the South African people. We are determined to advance the fundamental social and economic transformation of our society.
As we mark 100 days of the Government of National Unity, we once again call on all South Africans to join us: Let’s do more, together.
I thank you.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa
