South Africa is fully capable of ”turning the corner” and consolidating the gains made since 1994 despite the many challenges it faces, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Wednesday.
Speaking in the National Assembly during debate on the Presidency budget vote, she referred to the present climate of high inflation, interest rates, food insecurity, electricity shortages, high fuel costs, climate change, xenophobia and the general concerns about service delivery to millions of people.
”We are also concerned about crime in our country and its impact on ordinary citizens,” she said.
Therefore, initiatives such as Tuesday’s march against crime in Pretoria are to be welcomed.
”The comments by some of the speakers at the march regarding the need to strengthen our social institutions coincide with our moral-regeneration objectives.
”Without common values and shared concerns for fellow human beings we will not achieve our noblest goals of social cohesion,” she said.
The structural faults in the global economy have also impacted on South Africa, and this places a heavy burden on the country as a developmental state.
”But we have not been derailed in our goal of providing water and sanitation, restoring our public health system, caring for the elderly and infirm and educating our children for a more secure future. Yes, it is difficult, but not impossible.”
Taken as a whole, these challenges, which impact on the public mood, seem daunting.
”I am convinced, however, that we are capable of turning the corner and consolidating the gains we have made in our hard-won democracy.
”Only … if we adopt a ‘business unusual’ approach and only if we own up to the extent of the challenges we face will we have the possibility of turning these challenges into opportunities,” Mlambo-Ngcuka said.
Regarding the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (Asgisa), she said the goal of halving poverty and unemployment by 2014 remains.
”We said we could only halve poverty and unemployment if we were able to grow by at least 4,5% on average a year between 2004 and 2009 and by at least 6% on average from 2010 to 2014.
”Despite recent economic developments, we will most certainly make progress in some key areas.
”Government’s contribution through the R600-billion investment in infrastructure has a positive effect, especially at this difficult time.”
However, she acknowledged the shortcomings in some areas either as a result of skills shortages or misaligned legislation. — Sapa