Urgency needed to get SA back on track

Jacques Moolman, president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In his opening of Parliament address President Cyril Ramaphosa rightly highlighted the need for a multi-stakeholder approach to rescuing the South African economy and creating jobs.

What he now needs is to back up his vision of results-driven public-private partnerships with the required urgency to get the job done. The Cape Chamber shares many of the president’s stated priorities, notably:

• Create jobs and promote inclusive growth.

• Pursue a smart industrial policy and drive growth in labour-intensive sectors such as services, agriculture, green manufacturing and tourism.

• Simplify and speed up business planning and regulatory processes, including regulations on public-private partnerships.

• Reduce the high cost of living

• Reduce poverty.

• Respect the Constitution and the rule of law.

• Build a capable and ethical developmental state.

• Ensure municipalities attract investment and provide social services.

Misleading statements, such as the claim that the Presidential Employment Stimulus created nearly two million work and livelihood opportunities, undermine confidence in the other positive statements.

When talking about jobs, they should be real; the jobs we need to lift the economy are those that are self-sustaining once government stimulus funding ceases.

We don’t have two million more persons in employment. If the president wishes to attract support for his programme of action, he should avoid making questionable claims that might erode trust and plant seeds of doubt.

Overall the Cape Chamber is greatly encouraged by the president’s vision of a “comprehensive social compact with a clear programme of action”. We concur that weaving together stakeholder actions, within a constructive national dialogue, is the country’s best chance of allowing the most capable leaders to take charge of key positions and drive change based on merit. What is needed is an unwavering commitment to realising the solutions that serve the best interest of all our people.