ANC economic policy fails our people
24 August 2017
Speaker, today is an extremely broad topic that we can sit here and debate for days without end.
Truth is, our economy is failing our people. Slow growth, extremely high unemployment rates and a lack of investor confidence, which is so important to stimulate growth and create jobs, are only a few of the factors affecting our daily lives.
The ANC has stolen the future of so many because of their failure to implement and sustain economic policies.
Let’s ask the question again; what happened to the political will of the governing party to implement the National Development Plan? This is an excellent plan to grow our economy and was compiled by experts in their respective fields. This is not an ANC plan but a rescue plan to save our country.
In this plan, we want to grow the economy by educating and empowering entrepreneurs who will again create much-needed jobs.
But due to absolute lack of political will, weak governance, corruption, maladministration and disregard for the law by the ANC, this will remain a pipe-dream.
Our people are still not free, we’re still waiting for opportunities for all.
Year after year, we get the Auditor General reports with clear guidelines and proper recommendations. These are tabled, discussed and forgotten. Year after year, we get the same message but this government fails to implement corrective measures.
Officials are redeployed when they fail to do their jobs. Corruption is ignored. Millions and millions are wasted or irregularly spent. The culprits are seldom held accountable due to a lack of consequence management here.
You fail to implement clear and straight-forward recommendations; how can we expect you to implement policies that require skill, will and knowledge?
Premier Supra Mahumapelo supported by MEC Wendy Nelson and the entire executive, continue to perpetuate a lie that his administration will grow the economy by 6% by 2019. The truth is, this is impossible given the economic plan, policy and interventions put in place by this administration. As things stand, the economy is growing at a mere 1% and will not grow by more than 1.5% in the next 3 years, 2019 included.
All this is not helped by the downgrades and the weak Rand. We are no longer competitive enough in the global market, we import more than we export and our manufacturing industry is busy collapsing. Let me add the main reason for the downgrade is due to political unstability – proudly brought to you by the ANC.
The only economic policy that the ANC is committed is so-called ‘radical economic transformation’, which has been exposed as a vehicle for mass corruption and looting by the ANC, in other terms, the ANC is committed to radical economic looting and corruption, which robs the people of North West of opportunities and takes food off the tables of hungry families.
Only the DA has policies and plans that will grow the economy and create jobs.
As such, the DA believes that in order to grow the economy at a rate that will enable meaningful economic transformation, a caring government should:
- provide policy direction and coherence on the economy;
- manage public money better;
- increase investment and savings;
- support redress measures to broaden participation in the economy; and
- boost trade with other countries, especially African countries.
I thank you.
Issued by Jacqueline Theologo, DA Whip, North West Legislature, 24 August 2017
