As South Africa began to drift off course, propelled by the twin blows of the global recession and policy uncertainty - the latter attributable to the left-leaning alliance that propelled the Jacob Zuma ''tsunami'' into high office - periodic calls for a ''socioeconomic Codesa'' to get the country back on track became more frequent. Five years on, the case for such an inclusive dialogue has never been more compelling.Unemployment soared to 25.5% in the third quarter of this year and, as commodity prices continue to tank, economic growth is forecast at about 1.5%.Add to this dangerous mix a rise in radical labour and populist protests, electricity shortages, official corruption, weak governance and a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy, and it is little wonder that rattled businessmen are disinvesting, diversifying abroad or holding on to cash piles.The pointless squabbles and grandstanding that pass for debate in parliament these days do not offer much hope of finding a sustainable solution; neither does a cabinet beset by deep ideological divisions that mirror those in the ANC-led tripartite alliance.South Africa already has a blueprint for growth in the National Development Plan, which the ANC has accepted despite fierce criticisms of some of its ''neo-liberal'' provisions by the party's alliance partners, the SA Communist Party and labour federation Cosatu.Lacking are clear direction on how to implement the growth plan, a workable timetable with specific targets, and broad societal commitment to its aims and objectives.Zuma and his party have little to lose by talking to business, the unions, political parties, technocrats and civil society on how to fast-track implementation of the NDP.If it is to succeed in reigniting our ailing economy and creating the millions of jobs we so desperately need, the development plan will have to evolve from being a government programme and become a national project...