By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday opened a two-day Cabinet lekgotla in Pretoria ahead of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) next week.
Ahead of the meeting, Ramaphosa received a report about the implications of US President Donald Trump’s possible withdrawal of aid under the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) and the critical situation in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which has resulted in the deaths of 13 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers.
Ramaphosa said, “Things are relatively quiet at the moment and our soldiers are also in a safe place. I spoke to some of the leaders there, I spoke to [Rwandan] President [Paul] Kagame this morning and we are insisting that the ceasefire must hold.”
The minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said the meeting’s agenda would include finalising the medium-term development plan for 2025 to 2029, the term of the seventh administration.
“In terms of the focus, we are focusing on what are the practical actions that we need to take to make good on the promises that we have made,” she said.
Some of the priorities include the government’s commitment towards an inclusive economy that creates jobs, eradicates poverty, manages the high cost of living and builds a capable state.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to report on the economic outlook and global trends and their implications for the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.
The meeting comes amid tensions within the GNU, particularly following Ramaphosa’s signing of the Expropriation Act. However, on Wednesday, ministers from all political parties appeared to be cordial with one another.
Watch the interview in the video below:
Video Courtesy of Fullview.