No matter the attractive presentation of the package that contains President Cyril Ramaphosa’s bold stimulus plan to ignite the country’s economy as announced on Friday, leaders of political party structures remain unimpressed by the contents of the deal.
Prophets of doom warn that it remains to be seen whether the solution in the form of a multi-billion Rand strategy, with much focus on infrastructure expansion and maintenance, can effect the necessary change amid a debilitating economic spell. From certain corners concern was expressed about the announcement containing evident traces of electioneering talk. Upbeat South Africans, on the other hand, are perched on the edge of their chairs as they wait out a process of proposed cosmetic surgery supposed to redirect monetary infusion down pre-identified channels, in the absence of the factors that have contributed to a bigger crisis being addressed instead.
African National Congress (ANC)
While representatives of political parties are slamming the President for his proposed rescue mission, the executive of the ANC in the province remains steadfast in their praise for the packaged plan and welcomes what is being termed a necessary intervention. Through its spokesperson, Donald Selamolela who referred to Limpopo particularly suffering in terms of unemployment, it reacted with response that the plan was more than necessary to heal an ailing economy.
“We are very confident that with government leading the pack we should be getting a solution to the challenges we are faced with.” In an interview with Polokwane Observer he stressed the ANC’s call on the private sector to lend government a hand in supporting the stimulus plan. “It’s in everyone’s interest to save the economy,” he concluded.
Party Of Action (POA)
In criticism of the strategy intended for roll-out, POA national leader Billy Nyaku raised the point that the so-called proposed intervention in, among others, South Africa’s collapsing healthcare system was very superficial and was geared towards winning over voters as the ruling party prepared for the 2019 general elections.
Drawing on his and that of POA National Chairperson Theresa Nkuna’s past work in the nursing profession, from which his party has been actively recruiting members with a wealth of knowledge and experience, he said it has therefore been easy to outline real challenges faced by the Department of Health across the country and say why the intervention by Ramaphosa’s team was considered as lukewarm.
“The public health system has been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for ages and timing of this intervention is very suspicious. It shows the African National Congress (ANC) hates people, mainly blacks who use public healthcare services.”
He further said POA welcomed the planned injection into the public health staff complement but still remained perplexed by the presumption that such a move would prevent lawsuits against provincial health departments.
On behalf of his party’s leadership, who is predominantly experienced in healthcare, Nyaku listed problems that contributed to a collapsing healthcare system as lack of appropriate medicine for treating patients, political interference and deployment of personnel who lack healthcare knowledge in top positions, money meant for workshops or in-service training programmes disappearing without a trace, nurses resigning due to burn-out and working without resources whereupon their positions remain vacant, inexperienced young doctors working without supervision from experienced doctors resulting in malpractice, the South African Nursing Council (SANC) allegedly failing to conduct visits to healthcare facilities or ensuring compliance of such facilities with standard practices and, lastly, underpayment of nursing personnel.
Cutting into the perceived failed conduct of the Democratic Alliance (DA), he said POA has also noted that where healthcare matters in the country were concerned, the DA was an ineffective official opposition party. “It has failed dismally to excavate the ills rooted in healthcare that are attributed to the governing party.”
Renewed South Africa Party (RSA.P)
In his statement RSA.P interim national leader Cornelis Roelofse said Ramaphosa’s announcement on stimulating the economy must be welcomed, however “the patient does not need medicine; it needs a change in lifestyle”. It was clear that simultaneous factors that had been manifesting in the economy needed much stronger action, he said.
“Our tax base is shrinking due to a shrinking economy and migration of taxpayers which will probably increase after the announcement that the ANC supports expropriation of land without compensation. In addition, increased unemployment will make more people dependent on state grants while illegal migrants are placing an extra burden on state institutions, such as clinics and hospitals.”
South Africa needed a “lifestyle” change, he suggested. “Firstly, state coffers must not be ‘guptaficated’ and then government needs to be restructured by amending the Constitution.
“Renewed South Africa Party advocates for a new structure of government as we cannot afford the massive bureaucracy. We need a leaner government with more money becoming available for infrastructure development and job creation.”
Democratic Alliance (DA)
The DA’s provincial leader and party’s Premier candidate in Limpopo, Jacques Smalle commented by stating that the success of the plan would be determined by the implementation and project management thereof. One thing he had learnt from government was that they were late in rolling out infrastructure plans, was slow, inefficient and showed a lack of accountability, which should be a concern, he added. In addition Smalle said the President should be upfront about where the money for infrastructure was coming from, whether obtained through a loan or international investment. “It’s a good plan, but we need to address all the hows and questions.”
Ramaphosa needed full buy-in of his entire team and that was where the difficulty was going to lie, he predicted. Smalle added that the President was saying all the right things, but struggling with government implementing those plans.
In conclusion Smalle indicated that he wanted to be positive when saying there would be economic growth stemming from the stimulus plan and expressed optimism that it would yield positive results in the end.
Vryheidsfront Plus (VF Plus)
In a statement sent through on his behalf, Vryheidsfront Plus leader Pieter Groenewald was quoted saying the plans which the President had announced to stimulate economic growth in South Africa sounded like mere lip service to voters and investors who were concerned and dissatisfied about the deterioration of the country’s economy.
Congress of the people (Cope)
Comment from Cope Provincial Secretary Erick Mohlapamaswi is still awaited.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
Polokwane Observer failed to get hold of EFF Provincial Chairperson Jossey Buthane and EFF Provincial Secretary George Raphela for comment on behalf of the structure in Limpopo.
Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
