Ramaphosa calls on South Africans to rally behind Government of National Unity

CAPE TOWN - Drawing on the legacies of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Junior, President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to rally behind the new Government of National Unity (GNU).

Delivering his Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) on Thursday night, Ramaphosa called on South Africans to be a ‘cooperation nation’, and to behave like weaver birds.

He said this new government presented the opportunity to make South Africa a better nation, and South Africans should stand together with greater readiness and determination.

Thirty years since President Mandela stood before Parliament to reflect on the first 100 days of the Government of National Unity, President Ramaphosa looked to Madiba’s words to reconcile the nation.

He said the ten parties in the new GNU share the commitment to advance social justice and equal prosperity for all.

“We would like all of us as South Africans to behave like weaver birds. Weavers are among the most gregarious birds in that they build complex structures together and cooperate. 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.”

Along the same vein as historic talks such as the Congress of the People in 1955 and the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) in the 1990s, Ramaphosa said he envisages the national dialogue he committed to at his inauguration, to involve extensive and inclusive public participation.

“Through this National Dialogue, we are called to be agents of change, to be champions of inclusive growth, to be creators of opportunity.”

Ramaphosa said cabinet would be strategising over a medium-term development plan which would spell out its priorities for the next five years.

LABOUR LAWS

Amid concerns that labour and Black Economic Empowerment laws will be flouted under a Government of National Unity (GNU), President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to assure South Africans they will be the backbone of inclusive economic growth.

He delivered his address against the backdrop of shared governance with political parties which have divergent views on the national minimum wage, Employment Equity and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), Ramaphosa said economic growth must be both inclusive and transformational.

He said inclusive growth and job creation are among the GNU’s key priorities. 
Driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and the high cost of living and building a capable state, Ramaphosa said these are at the top of the national agenda and at the centre of the work of the new GNU.

He said these goals will be achieved in line with existing policies.

“We will continue to pursue the programmes that encourage Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, Employment Equity and support to small and medium-sized enterprises. We will continue to protect and uphold the rights of workers and continually strive to improve the conditions under which they work and live.”

Ramaphosa added that inclusive growth demands the affirmation of the position of women and youth in the economy.

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

Ramaphosa tread carefully over two contentious pieces of legislation related to health care and education when he delivered his opening of parliament address.
In keeping with the spirit of the new government of national unity, Ramaphosa said he was confident the differences in the National Health Insurance (NHI) could be ironed out in the implementation phase.

With the Democratic Alliance (DA) and other opposition parties now in the GNU having rejected legislation enacting NHI just a few months ago, Ramaphosa said he believes stakeholders will be brought together to clarify the misunderstandings.

“While there is much contestation around the NHI, there is broad agreement that we must draw on the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sectors to meet the health care needs of all South Africans equally.”

Ramaphosa is also faced with contestation to the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, which new minister Siviwe Gwarube said should be sent back to Parliament.

Ramaphosa said a well-functioning and quality education system is necessary to reduce poverty and drive economic growth.

“We will therefore focus on achieving universal access to early childhood development, which is a prerequisite for improved learning in later years.”

Ramaphosa also committed to expanding vocational and technical training in schools to improve skills development.