By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has convened an extended Cabinet Lekgotla comprising of leaders from all spheres of government – to review government’s progress on set priorities and set the agenda for the 7th administration.
The Cabinet Lekgotla comes ahead of the State of the Nation Address (SONA), which will be delivered by the President on 12 February 2026 and will be followed by the Budget Speech by the Minister of Finance on 25 February 2026.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, addressed members of the media on the sidelines of a Cabinet Lekgotla.
Ntshavheni has expressed confidence that the government was on course to lower the national debt burden, showing that the fiscal prudence and fiscal management is strengthening.
The performance of the rand has stabilised. We have considered these factors to determine the fiscal envelope that will guide our priorities and funding decisions. These are the issues currently under discussion, said Ntshavheni.”
The work of the seventh administration is guided by the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024-2029, in pursuit of three key priorities: driving inclusive economic growth and job creation; reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living; and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
The MTDP provides a whole-of-government framework which aligns planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation across all spheres of government.
Ntshavheni added that they will also be engaging on the country’s industrial policy, focusing on how, as part of our inclusive growth and development plan, we can define an industrial policy that anchors and drives this growth agenda.
“We presented the implementation plan for inclusive economic growth and development in the country. We will now finalise the revised timelines for its implementation. We will also focus on how to drive skills development across the country.
“Any economy that seeks to grow must be anchored in a strong national skills base. We are therefore reviewing how to realign our approach, and we will receive a joint presentation from the Departments of Labour and Higher Education on how existing funding mechanisms and platforms for skills development can be better utilised and streamlined.
“This will ensure they are more effective in driving skills development and creating employment opportunities, particularly for young people,” the Minister said.
She emphasised that economic growth cannot be achieved in an environment undermined by crime and criminal activity.
“To address this, we will receive a presentation tomorrow from the Justice and Security Cluster outlining a strategy to combat organised crime and deal decisively with these challenges,” the Minister said.
The recent announcement by British American Tobacco South Africa (BATSA) that it will close its Heidelberg manufacturing plant by the end of 2026 due to the illicit trade market, has also been placed on the agenda for discussion.
“We will also have a conversation about the future of the country in addressing the gender-based violence pandemic and how we mobilise society to respond to the scourge, “Ntshavheni said.