President Cyril Ramaphosa said there was apprehension about the government of national unity [GNU] surviving, with many of its opposers expecting it to collapse.
But 16 months later, it still exists and it is here to stay, the president said.
Ramaphosa made this statement after a two-day retreat with all the leaders of the 10 political parties that form part of the GNU. The event was held at the Cradle of Humankind, northwest of Johannesburg.
Ramaphosa said, despite the challenges and infights, the GNU [members are] determined to work together.
“We’ve been 16 months into our relationship. We had our own challenges during this course and we have reconfirmed that the GNU is here to stay. The GNU is going to find more and more ways of working together,” he said.
The leaders met to reflect on progress in the implementation of the priorities identified in the GNU Statement of Intent, to discuss contemporary national and international issues, and to address critical issues facing the country.
Ramaphosa described the meeting as a “meaningful retreat” with the discussions ranging from unemployment and hunger to corruption, crime, and economic reforms.
“We spoke about the progress that we can see happening, the reforms that we have embarked upon concerning electricity, our logistics, our railways, our ports, and our visa system, which is improving,” he said.
Ramaphosa also praised the work of the Special Investigating Unit, calling its progress in recovering ill-gotten goods and money phenomenal.
“We spoke about the issue of unemployment, particularly for young people. We spoke about local government and how it is totally unsatisfactory, and the service delivery challenges that our people are going through.
“We spoke about illegal immigrants in our country and felt that we needed to embark on an intervention initiative that will secure work positions for South Africans. So it was a plethora of issues which we will be taking action on as we move forward,” he said.
In a joint statement, the GNU partners - including the ANC, DA, IFP, PA, FF Plus, UDM, Rise Mzansi, Al Jama-Ah, PAC, and Good - reaffirmed their commitment to the coalition.
“The leaders recognised difficulties at times in the functioning of the GNU, most notably around the 2025 budget process. However, it has drawn important lessons from these experiences and will ensure more effective consultation in developing fiscal priorities and frameworks,” the GNU members said.
The leaders also committed to accelerating the implementation of government programmes under the Medium Term Development Plan, developing a food security plan, strengthening border management, and appointing ethical leaders in the criminal justice system.
The GNU also received a briefing from the minister of finance, Enoch Godongwana, on the state of the economy and its impact on the country fiscal outlook and priorities.
Godongwana is expected to deliver the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in the National Assembly on November 12.
Sowetan
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