President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered his reply to the state of the nation address debate on Wednesday (26 June), outlining some of his government’s short-term plans for 2019.

Ramaphosa said his SONA was not merely about dreams.

“The State of the Nation Address was not merely about dreams. It was about the lived reality of our people and setting out what we need to do to achieve the South Africa that we want.

“What it sought to do was to say let us imagine this South Africa that we so long to have. And in imagining this South Africa, let us do everything that we can to work towards this South Africa,” he said.

Ramaphosa said that his outlines plans over the short term would not be lip service, adding that his administration is ‘determined to do things differently’.

“The litany of a thousand outcomes will be replaced by a tight set of smart indicators for government to pursue,” he said.

“These will be contained in the Medium Term Strategic Framework, which will set out the action plan of government for the next five years.”

Ramaphosa said that each government department will produce a forward-looking and practical annual performance plan.

Each minister will also sign a performance agreement by which they will be evaluated and for which they will be held accountable.

“In the four months leading up to the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in October, we will also work hard to meet some immediate policy milestones,” he said.

Ramaphosa said these policy milestones will include:

An action plan on an effective visa regime for tourism and high skill immigration;

A policy directive on the release of spectrum;

An integrated and comprehensive youth employment strategy coordinated by a project management office in the presidency;

Engagement with organised business on the ease of doing business roadmap;

A national action plan to tackle extortion and violence at economic sites, especially in the construction sector;

Ensure the Economic Advisory Council, the Investment Advisory Council and the Presidential SOE Council commence their work;

Launching the Township Entrepreneurship Fund;

Finalising the Integrated Resource Plan;

Publish a special paper on Eskom detailing a roadmap for the entity’s future;

Presenting progress on the public-private growth initiative and the country’s investment pipeline;

The development of industrial strategy masterplan in priority sectors;

Release our approach to land reform informed by the advisory panel’s report.

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