By BAKANG MOKOTO
9 December 2024- The Republic of South Africa (RSA) president, Cyril Ramaphosa said the progress they have made this year gives them hope for the year ahead. Ramaphosa said the country is nearing the end of another year, marked by both triumphs and struggles.
He further said they celebrated 30 years since the birth of the democratic nation. Ramaphosa added that they reflected on the considerable progress they have made in building a constitutional order anchored on freedom, equality and human rights for all.
“We held our 7th successful, free and fair general elections since 1994. It was a landmark poll, with an unprecedented 70 political parties contesting.
“The election was a credit to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which acquitted itself with distinction, the political parties who campaigned in a spirit of respect and tolerance, and to all South Africans who exercised their right to vote,” he said.
Ramaphosa said democracy has evolved and matured. He said they have a Government of National Unity (GNU), composed of 10 political parties from across the political spectrum.
“They have agreed on three strategic priorities for this administration. The first strategic priority is to grow our economy and create jobs. The structural reforms initiated under the 6th administration, are continuing to create conditions for our economy to grow and to create jobs.
“The country has had over 250 days with no load-shedding. This is due to a combination of increased maintenance and generation recovery by Eskom, the addition of more capacity to the grid including from renewables, and the large-scale uptake of solar and battery energy solutions by households and businesses,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the work of the National Energy Crisis Committee continues. Ramaphosa said it is working to get more power onto the grid, to expand the electricity infrastructure, to diversify the market for the benefit of consumers, and to lay the groundwork for an energy-secure future.
“There has been a significant recovery of commuter rail, since theft and vandalism during the COVID-19 pandemic nearly destroyed the network. Stations have been refurbished, new state-of-the-art trains are on the tracks, and 31 out of 40 key passenger corridors are now operational,” he said.
Ramaphosa said there were 40 million commuter rail passengers in the last financial year, up from 15 million passengers the previous year. He said they are making progress in the recovery of freight rail and dealing with longstanding operational challenges in their ports.
“We are seeing improvements at the container terminals in Durban and Cape Town, as well as with infrastructure upgrades. While unemployment levels remain extremely high, more South Africans are finding jobs.
“The second strategic priority of this administration is to reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living. Consumer inflation is at a four-year low, making essential goods like fuel and most food staples more affordable,” said Ramaphosa.
He said over the past twelve months, fuel prices have come down. Ramaphosa said around 60% of the national budget is dedicated towards the ‘social wage’.
“These are the measures that reduce poverty and directly improve people’s lives. In addition to the provision of grants to vulnerable groups and unemployed people, this social wage includes subsidised housing, free basic services, no-fee schools and school nutrition.
“Government has been able to sustain these measures even as public finances are under severe pressure. The third strategic priority of this administration is to strengthen the capacity of the state to deliver on its mandate,” said Ramaphosa.
He said their efforts to improve the capacity and capability of the state to deliver on basic services continue. Ramaphosa said they have experienced moments of great national pride this year.
“Our sportsmen and women made us proud, including at the Olympics and Paralympics. Our nation’s artists hoisted our flag high on the global stage, proving themselves to be among our most valuable exports.
“The momentum we have achieved this year was marred by tragedy. The deaths of a number of children from eating contaminated foodstuffs was a great sorrow and caused deep concern,” he said.
Ramaphosa said they have put a number of stringent measures in place to prevent such tragedies. He said while they are making progress, they have a long way to go.
“The pace of economic growth is still too slow and not enough jobs are being created. Families still struggle with the high cost of living.
“While there has been some improvement in the crime statistics and there have been breakthroughs in tackling crime syndicates, crime and violence is still widespread in many communities,” said Ramaphosa.
The Guardian 