In his weekly letter to the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the path to recovery will be long and difficult and it needs to start now.
This comes as coronavirus cases in several parts of the country surge.
In addition to this, the country is also confronted with the economic damage of the pandemic.
“The most recent economic indicators show a drastic decline in economic activity and in confidence. Despite the support measures we have put in place, businesses are being forced to close and jobs are being lost,” Ramaphosa said.
The President said that despite the economic challenges the country faces, “we must continue to work towards the achievement of economic dignity for all South Africans.”
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“This is not the time to despair but to act. It is untenable, and unacceptable, to live with an unemployment rate of 30 percent, which will soon increase. It is also impossible to build an economy built on inequality.
“It is often said that South Africans do not lack for ideas. We have seen the publication of various economic recovery proposals recently, including by the governing party, organised business, civil society and independent analysts,” he said.
From The Desk of the President – Monday, 27 July 2020 – https://t.co/QK5w30yQhm As several parts of our country experience a surge in coronavirus infections, we are also confronted with the economic damage of this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/gWXdMdK1ir
— Presidency | South Africa ???????? (@PresidencyZA) July 27, 2020
“I am encouraged by the significant areas of agreement in these proposals. In the State of the Nation Address in February, I said that there were three things we would focus on this year. First, we were going to fix the fundamentals. Second, we would pursue new sources of growth. Third, we would ensure that our actions are underpinned by a capable state.
“Many of the plans under discussion raise these fundamentals, such as reliable energy, access to broadband spectrum, competitive ports and efficient transport. Working with our social partners we must speed up the pace of implementation so that we can rebuild the base of our economy”.
President Ramaphosa added that in all the proposals put forward in recent weeks, there is a substantial emphasis on improving execution.
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“They all say that we should seek out pockets of excellence in the state and support and deepen them. But they also say that we must look outside the state. We need to bring together the best available local skills, whether in business, academia or civil society to support our common programme.”
He added that with the advent of the coronavirus, South Africans need to pursue new sources of growth within a fundamentally different context.
President #Ramaphosa: This is making a real difference in the lives of millions of people and is providing vital support to thousands of companies in these very difficult times.
— Presidency | South Africa ???????? (@PresidencyZA) July 23, 2020
Many of the areas identified by government before the pandemic remain relevant and urgent, such as a growing small and medium enterprise sector and an agricultural sector that delivers food security.
Some sectors have taken on a new significance.
“We should, for example, use this opportunity to build a greener economy, with our entrepreneurs entering new fields such as hybrid cars, fuel cells, battery storage and waste beneficiation. This element has come out quite clearly in the various plans that have been released.”
Analysts have estimated that this pandemic will cost the country millions of jobs.
“In the supplementary budget presented last month, government made provision for job preservation and job creation efforts. The job preservation efforts, such as those through the UIF and tax measures, aim to prevent job losses in the private sector.”
Read the President’s full letter here.
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