Three cabinet ministers were rolled out today to present South Africa’s “new growth path“, but after about 70 minutes of briefings, reporters were left wondering what it was all about.
The sectors mirror those identified for job-creating potential in all previous growth plans, the inability of government departments to work together was highlighted as it has been for at least 12 years and there was yet another promise to work with business and labour to agree on a strategy.
The SA Communist Party was quick to agree to talk and laid out its minimum demands: price control, reduced executive earnings and action to close the vast wage gap.
The Democratic Alliance wondered why the cabinet had rushed to brief when there clearly was no agreement after 18 months in government on where to take economic policy.
Here is the cabinet statement with separate notes from the DA and the SACP.