Economy Budget 2019 — the full speech Read the full 2019 budget speech as delivered by finance minister Tito Mboweni BL PREMIUM

In the 2019 State of the Nation Address, our President set out an ambitious agenda for our nation. It is an agenda that speaks to the South Africa that we can be. It is a task list for all of us. It lays out a series of interventions that will put South Africa on a bold new path. How do we make this renewal a reality? I turned to the Good Book for guidance. In Zechariah 8 verse 12 it says: “For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their due; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things.” As a part-time farmer, I know that in order for the people to “possess all these things”, we have to plant anew. It is time for us to sow the seed of renewal and growth. But for the seed to be prosperous, as Zechariah enjoins us, we must first cultivate the soil. Once we have planted the seed, we must nurture it, water it, and protect it from the extremes, the elements and time.