Newly elected SA President, Jacob Zuma has caome out strongly today in favour of ‘radical socio-economic changes’, ramping up of Black Economic Empowerment and a renewed commitment to the National Development plan. “Today marks the beginning of the second phase of our transition from apartheid to a national democratic society. This second phase will involve the implementation of radical socio-economic transformation policies and programmes over the next five years,” said the President, minutes after he took the National Salute, which consisted of the National Anthem, a simultaneous gun salute and presentation of arms, a salute flight, a 21-gun salute and a massed fly past by various South African Air Force aircraft.
“We have already placed before the nation, the National Development Plan, our road map which outlines the type of society we envisage by the year 2030.
“Through this programme, we will move South Africa forward to prosperity and success,” he said.
“At a social level, as outlined in the NDP, our vision is to develop communities where households will have access to housing, water, electricity, sanitation, safe and reliable public transport, health, education, security, recreational facilities, a clean environment and adequate nutrition to count a few.
“As the National Development Plan outlines, the structure of the economy will be transformed through industrialisation, broad-based black economic empowerment and through strengthening and expanding the role of the state in the economy.”
The President said the country’s economic transformation programme also reaffirmed commitment to promoting local companies, entrepreneurs and cooperatives through local procurement by the state and its agencies. He said the National Development Plan (NDP) also prioritised the national infrastructure development programme.
“We will continue to build schools, railways, ports, universities, clinics, colleges, power stations, broadband, roads and more infrastructures around the country. This programme will continue to be the flagship of government.”
The newly inaugurated President was confident that the end result of all these transformative economic programmes would be a growing inclusive economy which creates jobs and provides opportunities for all, especially the youth.
“We have a lot of work to do. We will need the backing of a united and cohesive nation behind us as we move South Africa forward,” he said.
The NDP is a policy blueprint for eliminating poverty and reducing inequality in South Africa by 2030. Among other things, it identifies the key constraints to faster growth and presents a roadmap to a more inclusive economy that will address the country’s socio-economic imbalances.
President Zuma said through the NDP, “we will move South Africa forward to prosperity and success”.
The economic transformation programme, according to the new president, will promote local companies, entrepreneurs and cooperatives through local procurement by the state and its agencies.
At a social level, President Zuma said the vision is to develop communities where households will have access to housing, water, electricity, sanitation, safe and reliable public transport, health, education, security, recreational facilities, a clean environment and adequate nutrition.
The NDP also prioritises the national infrastructure development programme – which government has started implementing in the previous administration.
He said the programme will continue to be the flagship of government.
“The end result of all these transformative economic programmes is a growing inclusive economy which creates jobs and provides opportunities for all, especially the youth.”
But for this vision to succeed, the President said the state will need to improve.
Key targets in this regard, he indicated, will be to eradicate corruption and inefficiency in the public service.
“We will promote productivity within the public service and ensure much tighter accountability, with firm consequences where there is a failure to deliver services to our people,” he said, while committing to serve with humility, commitment and dedication.
He used his address to call on the nation to work with government as it implements the NDP.
“The road ahead is long and demanding. The challenges ahead may seem insurmountable, but we are determined to succeed, as we have always succeeded in our efforts to overcome challenges.”
The implementation of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and employment equity will be improved in the new administration’s five-year term says newly inaugurated President Jacob Zuma.
“We will improve the implementation of the employment equity and BEE laws during this term,” the President said on Saturday.
President Zuma said while progress has been made in changing the ownership and control of the country’s economy, “much more work” must be done.
In the years of democracy in the country, government had to introduce the BEE programme to allow more black people to be players in the mainstream economy. BEE has since been expanded to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), and this was aimed at introducing interventions that would promote employment preference, skills development, ownership, management, socio-economic development and preferential procurement.
In his address to the first ever B-BBEE Summit hosted in October 2013, President Zuma described B-BBEE as an integral part of South Africa’s economic policies and transformation.
The President added that state-owned enteprises and development finance institutions will become engines of development, complementing the State in promoting inclusive economic growth.
Additionally, land restitution and distribution as well as other forms of empowerment will also be better executed in the new term of government.
“Our economic transformation programme also reaffirms our commitment to promoting local companies, entrepreneurs and cooperatives through local procurement by the state and its agencies,” said President Zuma, who was speaking from the Nelson Mandela Amphitheatre at the Union Buildings. – SAnews.gov.za
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