Government today met leaders of business, labour and community in Johannesburg to begin talks on the New Growth Path. Minister Patel highlighted the main elements of the document, which was publicly released on Tuesday this week.
The constituencies welcomed the release of the document. The meeting endorsed and committed to the goal of five million new jobs by 2020. It recognised that this level of new job creation will make a significant positive impact on the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality. To achieve this goal would require that all parties do things differently and forge a close partnership on jobs. It requires faster, more inclusive and labour absorbing economic growth.
All constituencies welcome the opportunity to engage with government proposals on the New Growth path. They committed to a comprehensive response to structural problems the economy has faced. They committed to the approach that all constituencies will contribute in practical and concrete ways to achieve the national goals based, on a shared solidarity between all South Africans. The details of such commitment would require discussions within each constituency and further engagement through social dialogue.
The meeting took note of the key jobs drivers of infrastructure, the agriculture value chain, mining and beneficiation, manufacturing, tourism and business services and the green economy, as well as proposals involving the social economy, knowledge-based sectors and the public sector. The role of economic infrastructure, including in rural areas, was emphasised as critical to the achievement of the New Growth Path goals.
The meeting agreed that long-term sustainable job creation requires a strong focus on opportunities on the African continent and all parties committed to work together to realise the goal of closer economic integration on the continent, with its consumer base of one billion people. Opportunities in the social economy, which includes cooperatives and stokvels were recognised.
The need for stronger coordination and effective implementation was endorsed. All parties agreed to focus on immediate 'quick wins' in the first phase of discussion and prepare the basis for talks on other areas that will require more time to finalise.
The parties identified a number of areas for immediate focus, including the green economy, skills development, infrastructure development, improving the rate of domestic savings, procurement and the proposals in mining, the agriculture value-chain and manufacturing, all underpinned by the need to create jobs. Further areas will be identified in the course of consultations over the next three weeks.
The meeting agreed that the skills development programme must be built on strengthening the performance of the basic schooling system. The constituencies committed themselves to working closely together on basic education and to mobilise all South Africans behind the vision. A key role will be played by teachers, parents and government as well as students. This campaign can be launched early in the new year. Business, labour and community groups agreed to meet with their constituents over the next few weeks in order to discuss the proposals contained in the New Growth Path framework document. Bilateral discussions will be held in December and formal talks will continue in the new year.
The government delegation included Minister of Rural Development, Mr Gugile Nkwinti as well as Deputy Minister of Finance, Nhlanhla Nene and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Enoch Godongwana. The Executive Director of Nedlac, Mr Herbert Mkhize was present at the meeting.
The business delegation was led by Ms Futhi Mthoba, President of Business Unity South Africa and Mr Bobby Godsell from Business Leadership SA, whichbrings together the CEOs of the 80 largest South African companies.
The labour delegation was led by Mr Zwelinzima Vavi, General Secretary of Congress of South African Trade Unions(Cosatu) and the President of COSATU, Mr Sdumo Dlamini and several leaders of affiliated unions as well as and the leaders of Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa), Mr Dennis George and of Nactu, Mr Manene Samela. The community delegation was led by Phelisa Nkomo and included delegates from the Community constituency at National Economic Development and Labour Council's(Nedlac).
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