Johnathan Paoli
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that cooperation and working together to engage the challenges of the country remained the major drive of the 7th Administration while delivering the Presidency Budget Address in Parliament on Tuesday, which is estimated to be under R600 million.
Ramaphosa said the presidency remained focused on the priorities outlined in the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA), namely driving inclusive growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living; and building a capable, ethical and developmental state.
“As the strategic centre of government, the Presidency bears the responsibility for coordinating the work of government to ensure that these priorities are implemented,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the commitments made as the Government of National Unity (GNU) remained a crucial imperative and called for all to work together.
“Central to the work of the Presidency is cooperation, partnership and collaboration, both across government and together with social partners and other stakeholders,” the president said.
Ramaphosa outlined several entities created in the previous administration: the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council, the Presidential Climate Commission, the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council, the Presidential Working Group on Disability; which brought together a wide variety of people to provide insights and inputs based on expert knowledge and evidence in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges the country is facing.
He said the overriding priority for the next five years is to configure a system of government to support a significant expansion of investment in infrastructure.
Ramaphosa said a recent independent study released by the Bureau of Economic Research estimates that the reforms undertaken under the auspices of Operation Vulindlela could increase real GDP growth to 3.5 percent by 2029.
He said the presidency will work to ensure more effective coordination and collaboration, continue to draw on the knowledge and expertise of individuals across society and build meaningful social compacts to overcome the challenges that confront our people.
“The Presidency will continue to lead the work towards a better life for all South Africans and an inclusive economy that leaves no-one behind,” Ramaphosa said.
However, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party chief whip John Hlophe highlighted that there were many programmes and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under the Presidency, and questioned why there was no parliamentary committee overseeing the presidency.
“With the dissolution of the Department of Public Enterprises, state-owned companies will now fall under the Presidency, which means they will no longer be accountable to Parliament,” Hlophe said.
He referred to a previous recommendation by the State Capture Commission, which called for a dedicated committee in order to hold the presidency accountable.
Hlophe said it remains concerning that the President is not required to account to Parliament in the same way as ministers do, and that he cannot be summoned by the portfolio committee.
In addition, he said it is questionable how parliament can approve a budget without any specific allocations.
“It is very difficult for us as an opposition to effectively say we go along with the budget but no figures have been given at all as to how the budget has been compromised. I’m standing here being called upon to come and endorse a budget in the dark,” Hlophe said.
He further criticised the concentration of funds in the presidency and called on Ramaphosa to scale down on perks and other benefits for members of the executive.
Despite attacks by the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Julius Malema, concerning Ramaphosa’s past in the liberation struggle, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, lashed back and said it was her responsibility as the apex department of the administration to support Ramaphosa and Deputy President Paul Mashatile in their efforts to turn the country around.
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