MAROPENE RAMOKGOPA: Implementing the NDP should guide the work of new executive

As SA continues to commemorate 30 years of freedom and democracy, our country should reflect on the strides made and challenges experienced over the past three decades. Equally, we should chart a way forward for the next 30 years under the democratic dispensation. The recent successful and peaceful national and provincial elections are a clear testimony of the maturity of our constitutional democracy.

In his inauguration speech on June 19, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa underscored the resilience of our young democracy when he noted: “The voters of SA did not give any single party the full mandate to govern our country alone. They have directed us to work together to address their plight and realise their aspirations. They have expressed their appreciation of the past 30 years of democracy”.

The president further argued that the formation of the government of national unity (GNU) after the elections “is a moment of profound significance”. The GNU represents a co-operative effort among 11 political parties, which have shown commitment to work together to take the country forward, in particular at the executive level in both the national and provincial legislatures.

As clearly outlined in the statement of intent adopted by the political parties, the foundational principles of the GNU, premised on the commitment to advance SA’s democracy, include respect for the constitution, nonracialism, social justice and evidence-based decision-making. At its core, the GNU aims to address the stubborn triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality while promoting stability and good governance. 

As members of the GNU are gearing up to work in partnership towards growing the economy, better jobs, safer communities and a government that works for its people, we need to dissect how the executive will carry out its work, take decisions and implement key programmes in line with the aspirations of our people, especially focusing on the roles and responsibilities of the national executive. 

On June 30, the president announced the new national executive to constitute the seventh democratic administration under the GNU. The new executive comprises a diversity of political parties reflecting the outcome of the recent elections. After the swearing in of the new executive, members have hit the ground running and responded to the president’s call “to draw on our energy strength to turn our dream for a better SA into reality”. 

It is expected that the work of the GNU will continue to be guided by the National Development Plan: Vision 2030 (NDP), which was adopted in 2012 and remains our country’s lodestar for inclusive prosperity. At its core the NDP’s priorities are to eliminate poverty, reduce inequality and unemployment through inclusive economic growth, build human capabilities, enhance the capacity of the state, and promote leadership and active citizenship throughout society. The plan outlines specific goals and strategies to achieve these priorities by 2030. 

On its part, the GNU and the new executive, cabinet ministers in particular, are expected to play a crucial role in aligning policies of their departments with the NDP. Before implementation, all government policies shall pass through the cabinet process. This ensures collective decision-making, transparency and alignment with the broader national goals. It is essential that all the GNU ministers drive policies aligned with the NDP and the statement of intent. This alignment is important for a cohesive government, focused on common objectives and shared goals.

The department of planning, monitoring & evaluation will play a central role in policy co-ordination to ensure systematic analysis and reviews before development, authorisation and implementation of any new policies. This will ensure that cabinet approval is premised on a robust framework for policy communication, ensuring alignment, clarity and accountability. 

This role is critical in ensuring that policies align with national priorities, including those outlined in the NDP, and uphold a “whole-of-government approach” by ensuring co-ordination across all departments and spheres of the government. 

The role of the department of planning, monitoring & evaluation in this context will be to ensure that policies are coherent and prevent duplication, fragmentation and conflicting priorities. The process will foster consistency and stability across different clusters and departments. This alignment will allow parliament and citizens to hold the government accountable for progress towards meeting NDP targets. 

Equally, the synergy between GNU cabinet ministers, the NDP and the department is essential for SA’s sustainable development. By prioritising alignment, evidence-based decision-making and co-ordinated efforts, we can build a better future for all citizens. 

As the national executive prepares for their work ahead through deliberation at the forthcoming cabinet lekgotla, it is expected that robust debates and engagements will ensue and under the leadership of Ramaphosa key and collective decisions will be taken and subsequently implemented.

These decisions will also be processed through established policy structures such as the Forum of SA Directors-General (Fosad); the ministerial clusters; cabinet committees; the presidential co-ordinating council and ultimately the cabinet. The policy unit will provide policy co-ordination, research and advisory services to the department of planning, monitoring & evaluation, the National Planning Commission (NPC), the presidency and the executive.

It will lead the research and update the progress the country makes on development objectives in the NDP and Medium Term Development Plan in complementary efforts with the NPC and the department of planning, monitoring & evaluation.

Importantly, the policy unit will also work with the presidency in thinking ahead, scenario planning and spatial planning together with think-tanks across the country, including labour and business. The advice will be in identifying areas of policy coherence that need attention by the executive and where better co-ordination and integration are required.

The policy unit research will ensure evidence-based papers on the implementation of different thematic areas in the NDP as conducted by the NPC and providing advice on course correction and accelerated implementation pathways towards 2030 as well as in the short and medium term. It will ensure advice to the executive on all matters forwarded to the cabinet ensuring evidence-supported decision-making and review of decisions made in a manner that promotes attainment of the goals and objectives of the development agenda.

The policy unit will also work as a clearing house for executive agenda and cabinet memoranda for discussion and conversations when the cabinet sits, to advise the government on the developments and propose pathways for implementation — for example on climate change, economic development, employment creation, service delivery, peace and security, and building a capable state with strong institutions and international partnerships — working with the existing structures in the presidency including Fosad clusters and the cabinet. 

The success of the GNU will largely depend on the common will and interest of South Africans in general. While we may have different manifestos and different political aspirations, the outcome of these elections has led to a system of collective interests above that which defines our political interests.

Guided by the constitution and the aspirations of our people as espoused in the NDP and other policy imperatives, the new GNU executive will hopefully implement collective decisions taken and processed through established policy structures. Crucially, policy implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation will result in our country turning a dream for a better SA into reality. 

In the words of the founding father of a democratic SA, Tata Nelson Mandela, “We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success”.

• Ramokgopa is minister in the presidency for planning, monitoring & evaluation.