GNU not a fleeting convenience: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government of national unity (GNU) that he leads is not a fleeting convenience and that politicians should demonstrate this in word and deed.

Replying to Friday’s daylong debate on his opening of parliament address, Ramaphosa said much of what was said during the debate confirmed that South Africa had entered a new era in its politics.

“It is an era of hope and optimism for the people of our country. We must demonstrate in word and deed that this is an era of a GNU and not a fleeting convenience.

“We have had, and will continue to have, points of divergence, as the spirited nature of the debate has demonstrated. At the same time we all understand what is expected of us by those who put us here,” he said on Monday.

Ramaphosa said South Africans expected their leaders to lead the country towards the ultimate goal of a better life for all; talking to each other, working together and pulling in the same direction. That direction was towards the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024-29, a programme that will guide the seventh administration.

This plan will be based on the three strategic priorities that he outlined in his address last Thursday.

“As we said, our priorities are inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, and building a capable, ethical and developmental state.”

He said for much of the sixth administration, the government had worked to address the challenges that had impeded growth, such as state capture, lack of reforms, Covid-19 and others.

“We also worked to overcome the silo mentality that pervaded the work of government, and which in the past had contributed to inefficiency, duplication and wastage of resources.”

Ramaphosa said it was important that whatever policies and programmes the GNU developed, they should be aligned to the social realities facing the people.

What would define the seventh administration was strategic alignment of priorities, greater efficiencies, focus and the optimal use of resources, he said.

Ramaphosa reiterated that the government's programme was grounded in the National Development Plan, the AU's Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“It is important to examine the progress we have made as a nation in addressing the challenges our people face.”

In focusing on reducing the cost of living, local government has to strengthen its implementation of the indigent policy so that the old, the infirm and the poor are able to get assistance with the payment of basic services, he said.

On health and wellbeing, the president said a key task for the government over the next five years will be to ensure that everyone in South Africa has equal access to affordable quality health care through the implementation of the National Health Insurance.

“We are unwavering in our commitment to implement universal health coverage in a manner that brings all South Africans on board. We will continue with dialogues, with exchanges, with interactions to make this an important programme for our people.”

The seventh administration will focus on extending the provision of services like piped water, decent sanitation and access to electricity to those people who still do not have these basic requirements, and improving the reliability and affordability of delivery.

This, he said, will require measures to improve the efficiency of local government to deliver on its crucial mandate.

TimesLIVE