Ramaphosa defends ‘same old’ recovery plan

On Wednesday, MPs debated the economic recovery plan during a joint sitting of the National Assembly. 

During the sitting, Ramaphosa listened to MPs disapproval of the plan. 

Members on the opposition benches described the plan as ‘underwhelming, repetitive and unattainable’. 

But in his response to MPs, Ramaphosa said he stands by the plan. 

“In the end we have to put a plan on the table. It may well be sound like we are repeating what we have said in the past. Yes, that may well be so, it may well sound like we have not come up with anything new but I think if you read between those lines and those paragraphs and if we all take time to look at this plan carefully we will find that there’s a new resolve, there’s a new determination and this plan is underpinned by the participation of the social partners we’ve got in our country,” he told MPs.  

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Ramaphosa reiterated his government’s commitment to rebuild the economy “from the ashes”.  

“This plan outlines immediate actions to rebuild the economy the economy and to provide jobs and relief to people of our country. These actions include an aggressive infrastructure programme,” he said. 

“I have to talk about it all the time because an infrastructure investment is what defines a nation.” 

Ramaphosa’s plan places focus on job creation, reviving the energy sector and unlocking R1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next four years. 

“Our challenge is not only to recover to pre-pandemic levels of economic activity but to life ourselves out of an economic decline, out of this whole that has been several years in the making while seeking to undo structural distortions that were many decades in the making.  

“But we are moving ahead. We have made significant progress in our efforts to achieve energy security, activating the process for the procurement of new generating capacity. 

“Implementation will go on.”