The African National Congress (ANC) on Friday appealed to South Africans to read the National Planning Commission’s (NPC) diagnostic report and help find meaningful solutions to the country’s problems.
“We equally request that all of us as South Africans move away from being steeped in the negative frame but instead be part of the solutions to the national problems confronting our country,” said spokesperson Jackson Mthembu in a statement.
Mthembu was reacting to the findings of research done by the NPC in its efforts to map out a vision for the country.
Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel released the “diagnostic document and vision statement for 2030” at a media briefing in Parliament on Thursday and called for public comment.
The document, drawn up after a year of intensive work by 26 NPC commissioners, identified nine key problems: poor education; divided communities; uneven public service performance; an unsustainable resource-intensive economy; a high disease burden; unemployment; existing spatial patterns; crumbling infrastructure; and corruption.
‘Nation-building exercise’
Mthembu said this was an opportunity for South Africans to “engage in a nation-building exercise” as they helped to develop the country’s long-term vision and national strategic plan.
“Let us roll up our sleeves and engage with this process in the best way we can as proud South Africans.”
The ANC “fully” welcomed the diagnostic report and was in “full agreement with the broad sentiments” expressed in the body of the report, showing that the country had achieved a lot but more needed to be done.
“We are also in full agreement with the other sentiments expressed in the report that the country as a whole needs a long-term developmental path that promotes economic growth and social equity. This is at the heart of the mandate of the NPC to develop the country’s long-term vision and strategic plan.”
The Federation of Unions of South Africa welcomed the report, saying it would take the opportunity to contribute to the planning commission’s final vision document. — Sapa