‘There was great synergy’: Ramaphosa on GNU cabinet lekgotla

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described this past weekend’s cabinet lekgotla as “wonderful and fruitful”.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of National Treasury’s climate symposium on Monday, Ramaphosa said everyone who attended the lekgotla felt that it was the “very best cabinet lekgotla and the very best strategy section”.

“There was great synergy, there was no dissenting voice. On the issues discussed we found we had common purpose, we were unified in our message, in our intent, in our commitment to take South Africa forward.”

The statement of intent is “the glue that holds us all together”, he said. 

“The constitution is the overarching view and we all subscribed to its values, its principles. We combined around that and started plotting what needs to be done to advance the lives of the people of South Africa in accordance with the priorities set out in the statement of intent.” 

Ramaphosa said when he opens parliament this week, he will outline the issues cabinet discussed, adding there was unanimity on everything.

This was the first lekgotla attended by the ministers in the government of national unity (GNU) to chart a policy framework for the seventh administration. 

It was attended by government stakeholders including director generals, premiers and local government officials. 

Minister in the Presidency Khubudzo Ntshavheni said there was a presentation by an economic expert concerning economic development, adding  cabinet was focused on inclusive growth and job creation. 

She said the lekgotla focused on ways to unlock the economy to create jobs and partner with business for a capable development state. 

“We are focusing on what are the areas of reforms that will unlock the economy. The issues around water, electricity and energy in general. The impact it has had in our economy, what are we doing to deal with the reforms,” she said. 

Ntshavheni said cabinet was cognisant it was meeting at a time when government is managing disaster relief after flooding in some areas of the country. 

Several ministers held impromptu media briefings during the weekend on the sidelines of the lekgotla.

Energy and electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said government accepted energy was the albatross that undermined economic growth. He said the poor were finding it difficult to afford increased electricity costs, saying these were challenges on the distribution side which need to be addressed. 

He said municipalities had underinvested in maintenance of the distribution grid, and the impact was being felt now.

Commenting on municipal debt levels to Eskom, which was sitting at R78bn, he said: “It’s an unsustainable situation so we need to resolve that crisis.”

On new sources of energy, he said: “We made the point that in the long term we need to ensure we anchor the baseload and nuclear is an important part of the generation.”

The process would be transparent and done at the scale and with speed in accordance with the country’s affordability, Ramokgopa said.

Co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said while government was committed to intervention in local government, his department would need to draw the line when necessary. 

He said he was aware voters would be taking a keen interest in the work of political parties participating in government. 

“I’m confident all political parties do not want a dysfunctional municipality because it is two years and a half to go [before local government elections]. Voters will punish the political parties that deprive them of what could have been better if it was done on time.”

Hlabisa said he will need to show voters in the next local government elections that he made interventions and the results of these interventions. 

He said radical action must be taken against municipalities not delivering services, adding this was the common approach taken by all parties in the GNU.

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