Ramaphosa faces tough task of putting eight-point plan into action – analyst

While the eight-point package of priorities contained in the January 8 Statement of the ANC unveiled over the weekend by President Cyril Ramaphosa was spot on in pointing the country’s challenges, the test would be on implementation, according to a political analyst, Sabelo Ndlovu.

Declaring 2020 as “the year of unity, socioeconomic renewal and nation building”, Ramaphosa said in his speech at the Tafel Lager Park stadium in Kimberley that the ANC’s national executive committee had identified key challenges the government planned on taking up this year.

These were:

• Building a capable state that served all people.
• Building a united, cohesive society.
• Investment, jobs and inclusive growth.
• An effective land reform programme.
• Eradicating poverty and improving people’s lives.
• Education and skills for a changing world.
• Social cohesion for safe communities.
• Better Africa for a better world.

“In terms of identifying key challenges the country is currently facing, President Ramaphosa was spot on in coming up with a correct diagnosis.

“But the biggest test for the ANC-led government is going to be in the prescription to resolve issues,” said Ndlovu, a political analyst with the University of South Africa.

“Building a capable state that serves the people is an issue that confronts not only South Africa but the entire African continent, which suffers due to incapacity of governments and lack of leadership.

“Africa today finds itself operating in an environment in which it has to deal with democratisation and decolonisation.

“When it comes to social cohesion, we need to think beyond Nelson Mandela’s rainbow nation which has proven not to work because – unlike in Europe – people still see themselves in terms of race.”

Turning to energy, Ndlovu said the sector – an area which dominated Ramaphosa’s speech in the light of the resignation of Eskom chair Jabu Mabuza – was “in a crisis due to lack of planning”.

“We do not plan well when it comes to energy. If the grid was meant to provide electricity to fewer people under apartheid, we failed to think that under a constitutional democracy, the population would outgrow demand for electricity,” Ndlovu said.

On building a capable state, Ramaphosa said: “Holding elected representatives accountable is a task for each and every one of us.

“The ANC will become more vigilant in screening its candidates and ensuring that these comrades meet the highest standards of ethics, morality and service to the people.

“Once elected, the movement must ensure that ANC public representatives serve the people with distinction. Where this does not happen, there must be consequences – and there will be consequences.”

Ramaphosa said public institutions “have borne the brunt of state capture, corruption and mismanagement”.

“Many of these institutions have lost capable personnel and become incapable of fulfilling their crucial constitutional functions,” he said.

“We will restore our public institutions to a higher standard of accountability and service.

“We have begun the work of turning around institutions such as the National Prosecuting Authority, State Security Agency, South African Revenue Service, the Public Investment Corporation and others.

“Several of our key state-owned enterprises [SOEs] are facing great difficulties. This has a severe impact on broader economic growth and transformation.

“The crisis at Eskom has contributed to load shedding over the last year, further subduing economic activity.

“Eskom’s new leadership team will need to address the entity’s financial, operational, structural and human resource challenges.

“The fact that South African Airways has been put under business rescue to enable it to be restructured and returned to financial sustainability is a demonstration both of the depth of the crisis and the determination of our government to decisively address it.”

The ANC, said Ramaphosa, should “undertake a thorough assessment of the state of our SOEs and take clear decisions about what must be done to place these entities back on a sustainable path.”

– brians@citizen.co.za

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