(Photo credit: Facebook, The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa)
TLU SA is cautiously optimistic about the future of the country following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speech at the opening of Parliament on Thursday evening. It is encouraging to hear about the planned focus on infrastructure and economic growth. However, it is essential to acknowledge that we must first fix what has been destroyed over the past 30 years.
TLU SA is in favour of successful and sustainable transformation. The past 30 years of mismanagement must be transformed according to real economic principles.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered an optimistic and hopeful speech on Thursday evening. He promised an undivided focus on growth and job creation, an accelerated reform programme, and a compromise on the difficult issue of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
“The biggest challenge remains the execution of these announcements,” says Bennie van Zyl, General Manager of TLU SA. “Cadres have proven they are incapable of doing so. The focus must now be on expert appointments.”
There is much hope about how the RNE will fix everything – a huge admission by President Ramaphosa that the ANC government has indeed failed. We must be cautious that the ANC’s policy direction does not continue to underpin our approach to the future.
A robust economy is essential to implementing any promises, and this is achieved by applying the right economic principles in a safe environment where the private sector has the opportunity to run profitable businesses. The true test lies in the markets’ evaluation of the outcomes over the next five years.
The first step towards a positive outcome was achieved with President Ramaphosa’s speech, but now it is time for action. Expertise is next on the list.
