President Cyril Ramaphosa. Photo: Dwayne Senior/Getty Images
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday, in his first opening of parliament address as the leader of a multi-party coalition, announced a national dialogue to forge a common vision for South Africa’s future.
“Through this national dialogue, we are called to be agents of change, to be champions of inclusive growth, to be creators of opportunity,” he said.
It was a reference to the main thrust of his speech — rebuilding an economy that has for a decade grown at an average of less than 1% annually, to create jobs and a more equal society.
“Despite all the challenges, despite our differences, despite all the headwinds, as South Africans we are called upon to remain firmly committed to pursue the path of cooperation, growth and inclusion,” Ramaphosa said.
He said such a gathering, which he mooted when he was sworn in for a second term last month, was one of three scenarios a group of stakeholders foresaw when they gathered a few years ago to consider the country’s many problems.
The first was one of harping blame, symbolised by the calls of the hadeda. The second was a populist coalition that would continue along a path of corruption.
“The second scenario, symbolised by a vulture, painted a picture of a desperate nation governed by a populist coalition whose main objective is self-enrichment and patronage,” he said in a plain reference to Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who were locked out of his coalition.
“This scenario saw investment confidence being eroded, the growth path being low and unemployment, poverty and inequality remaining extremely high.”
The third scenario, and the one he was choosing, the president continued, was that of a “co-operation nation” symbolised by countless weaver birds.
It was one where after much strife, political parties, the state, the private sector and civil society agreed on priorities that could be achieved by collective effort.
“There is change in the form of governance and reform that leads to the economy growing, with more investment attracted, leading to the reduction of unemployment, inequality and poverty,” he said.
“By establishing the government of national unity, by preparing for a national dialogue, we have deliberately set ourselves along the path towards a ‘cooperation nation’. We would like all of us as South Africans to behave like ‘weaver birds’ … despite all the challenges, despite our differences, despite all the headwinds.”
Ramaphosa’s first address to parliament since leading the ANC to a historic loss of electoral support, coincided with the birthdate of Nelson Mandela, who as the country’s first democratic president invited former political foes into a government of national unity in 1994.
There have been rumblings, even from within the ranks of his closest ANC allies, that by borrowing the term for his 10-party coalition, Ramaphosa was cynically trying to rally broad support for what is at heart a centrist power-sharing pact with the Democratic Alliance (DA).
But the president leaned heavily into the moment after a two-day cabinet lekgotla where, by all accounts, the centre is holding for now.
He quoted Mandela as saying that the diverse parties in his early unity government were bound by an “overriding commitment” to reconciling South Africans for the sake of their shared well-being.
“The same may be said of the government of national unity that has now been established by 10 of the parties represented in this parliament,” Ramaphosa continued.
“We share a commitment to reconcile our nation by advancing social justice and equal prosperity for all. We are committed to improve the well-being of our country and its people through inclusive growth, the creation of jobs and the reduction of poverty. This is an undertaking that involves us all.”
He said South Africa had a history of consultation at key junctures, before comparing the planned national dialogue with the Congress of the People in 1955, which saw the adoption of the Freedom Charter, and Convention for a Democratic South Africa talks in the early 1990s where he was among those who negotiated the transition from apartheid to democracy.
The broad coalition was also “quite a historic moment for our country”, he added. “We must make the government of national unity function and work and succeed.”
Ramaphosa gave assurances that despite spanning the political spectrum, the new government would not abandon the ANC’s policies of race-based historical redress.
It would also respect labour rights and remain committed to income support for the poor.
The social relief of distress grant (SRD) introduced during the Covid pandemic would make way for a new, permanent grant for the unemployed.
“The best way to deal with poverty is for people to have jobs,” he reiterated.
“We have, however, made interventions to support the unemployed through a variety of interventions.
“The SRD grant has provided a lifeline to millions of unemployed people. We will use this grant as a basis for the introduction of a sustainable form of income support for unemployed people to address the challenge of income poverty.”
Ramaphosa acknowledged areas of contention in the coalition, notably the National Health Insurance (NHI). But he signalled that there would be no turning back on the plan for free universal health care, despite “much contestation” around founding legislation he signed in May.
“In implementing the NHI, we are confident that we will be able to bring stakeholders together, and that we will be able to resolve differences and clarify misunderstandings,” he said.
“There is broad agreement that we must draw on the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sectors to meet the healthcare needs of all South Africans equally.”
There was unanimous agreement in the government that its priority was economic growth and job creation, followed by tackling poverty and the rising cost of living and, in third place, building a capable, ethical state.
The address was applauded by the ANC’s new partners in government.
Public Works and Administration Minister Dean Macpherson, one of six cabinet members from the DA, was among the first to shake Ramaphosa’s hand.
DA leader John Steenhuisen, the new minister of agriculture, said his party welcomed “the progressive announcements” Ramaphosa made, before claiming credit for helping to place these at the heart of the government’s agenda.
“We welcome with open arms the acknowledgement that growing the economy is the starting point to fix so many social ills and create a just and equal society.
“The DA has advocated for some of these policies, and thanks to the votes of millions of South Africans who backed the DA’s cause, these breakthroughs have landed in the agenda.”
Steenhuisen added: “I can say without a shadow of doubt that the DA ministers are committed to the reform agenda.
“But we must emphasise that without swift implementation and zero deviation from the reform agenda and pledges, the expectations of so many of our citizens will remain little more than that.”
EFF leader Julius Malema said Ramaphosa spoke like a defeated man who had lost “all confidence” and sold out to the former official opposition.
“I won’t be shocked tomorrow if I am told that that speech was written by [DA federal council chair] Helen Zille because the DA kept on clapping until the last full stop.”