Twelve tasks too many for the ANC
The government has the power to legislate firmer laws that will drive 'radical economic transformation'. All it needs now is the will to do so, writes Andile Khumalo
Of all of President Jacob Zuma's annual state of the nation addresses, 2017's promised to be different - and this turned out to be so. In the build-up, the ANC released a list of 12 tasks for implementing its programme of radical economic transformation. Included was adhering to the Maputo declaration of 2003 to raise state agriculture spending to 10% of the national budget; forcing the government to spend 30% of its budget on small enterprises and black business; deracialising and diversifying ownership patterns in financial services and mining; investing in township economies; returning the land to the people; finalising the minimum wage; and reviewing trade policies to support local businesses. The state of the economy makes the realisation of the 12 tasks rather ambitious. Achieving the target in accordance with the Maputo declaration of spending 10% of GDP on agriculture would have provided a significant victory in the battle against poverty. Unfortunately, South Africa spends ...
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