Ramaphosa’s Phase-3 Plan Needs Urgency, Not Incrementalism

Statement by Geordin Hill-Lewis – Leader of the Democratic Alliance:

I welcome President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment yesterday to lift South Africa’s economic growth above 3% through the next phase of the Government-Business Partnership. It is the right ambition. We hope this ambition is now followed by the urgency and immediacy required by the scaled of the crisis. With unemployment at 33.6%, South Africa cannot afford another phase of incremental reform.

The DA will continue to use its position in the Government of National Unity to push for faster, measurable economic reform. Every major reform should have a deadline, clear political accountability and an implementation plan that South Africans can track.

Where decisions have already been taken particularly in energy, rail, ports and infrastructure we must stop talking about implementation and start implementing.

We should make it easier to invest, start a business and employ people and should cut regulations that achieve little besides adding cost and delay.

Importantly we should welcome private capital into infrastructure and bring private expertise and competition into areas where state monopolies have failed.

A DA-led national government would approach economic reform with far greater urgency. We would judge policy by whether it attracts investment, creates jobs and improves people’s lives and we would act accordingly.

Eight and a half million unemployed South Africans need an economy that grows fast enough to give them a chance. This can be done. South Africa has the people, the capital and the entrepreneurial energy to grow. What we need now is the political will to move at the speed of the crisis.