Mthembu spells out ‘big doer’ Ramaphosa’s dreams

Jackson Mthembu, minister in the Presidency in charge of planning, monitoring and evaluation, has lashed out at critics who claimed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address fell short of expectations.

Mthembu, a staunch Ramaphosa supporter, criticised the “misguided narrative” that the Sona was slim on detail. He accused critics of being “disingenuous” and “very economical with the truth”.

The opposition parties and experts such as economists Duma Gqubule, Busisiwe Radebe and poverty and inequality expert Isobel Frye criticised Ramaphosa’s address for having fallen short of realistic economic growth targets.

Mthembu said the president made specific mention of sectors that could turn the country’s economy around and identified areas of great potential.

Those included stimulating local manufacturing and promoting the Buy Local campaign, developing new markets in agriculture and increasing international tourist arrivals to 21 million by 2030.

Mthembu said Ramaphosa announced implementing masterplans developed with business and labour in industries like clothing and textiles, gas, chemicals and plastics, renewables and steel and metals fabrication sectors.

The programmes’ implementation would be elaborated in ministerial budget speeches, he said.

“Those who claim that the Sona is all about dreams do not understand that all major revolutions worldwide begin with an idea.

“A people without dreams, without vision and purpose, is a people with no future.”

A five-year National Development Plan (NDP) Implementation Plan was discussed in detail with all the premiers and ministers at the Cabinet lekgotla and was being tabled at the provincial executive council makgotla. The ministers’ and premiers’ responses and commitments were expected within a month.

“The NDP will show how, where, when and by whom priorities will be implemented.

“The NDP forms the basis for departmental strategic plans and annual performance plans,” Mthembu said.

According to Mthembu, Ramaphosa is a great visionary.

“He is a big dreamer and a big doer at the same time,” he said.

On job creation, Mthembu said the private sector had committed to invest R840 billion in 43 projects in over 19 sectors of the economy to create 155,000 jobs in the next five years.

Government has committed to prioritise the elimination of growth inhibitors or binding constraints to ensure successful implementation of these projects.

Explaining the president’s dream of a new smart city, Mthembu said young innovative minds would be invited to share their ideas on the design and architecture of such a future smart city.

Mthembu let slip it must be located in “one our rural provinces so as to disrupt the colonial and apartheid spatial patterns”.

The poorest provinces are the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

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