Mokonyane tables plan to boost SA’s economy past recession

Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane alongside Deputy Communications Minister Pinky Kekana scheduled a media briefing on Thursday to table measures to boost the South African economy following the announcement that the country contracted in a technical recession in the second quarter of the year.

Mokonyane was briefing the media on the outcomes of Wednesday’s fortnightly cabinet meeting.

She said cabinet was committed to fast-track measures to help boost the South African economy.

She, alongside president Cyril Ramaphosa, will unveil a stimulus package for South Africa and the pronouncement of the recovery strategy will be made by Ramaphosa.

The plan will be presented “in a short period of time” according to Mokonyane.

This was after data by Stats SA showed the economy fell into a technical recession this week.

Mokonyane touched on the NSFAS application process, which started on Monday and said cabinet welcomed the overwhelming response.

“Inspection of factories remains ongoing even though the listeriosis outbreak is over,” she said, speaking on the allegations of fake and expired goods.

She announced the progress made on the issue of payments made on social grants where about R5.5 million old cards were replaced with new ones.

“Government has committed to, among others, a complete overhaul of the visa system to support the tourism sector and further stabilise the finances of the state-owned enterprises,” Mokonyane said.

“The upcoming job and investment summits, as well as the proposed government stimulus package, will provide details on reforms needed to drive growth.”

Referring to land expropriation, she said the goal was about expanding ownership of land and not about race.

The minister conveyed condolences to the families of the three firefighters who lost their lives on Wednesday in the attempt to extinguish a fire in a building occupied by the Gauteng Department of Health and Human Settlement in Johannesburg.

She wished the injured a speedy recovery and said new information on the building was that the fire was now on the sixteenth floor.