Ramaphosa says 30-year Review Report will help SA achieve NDP vision

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the 30 Years of Democracy Review Report was produced as a tribute to the people who fought for South Africa’s freedom and all South Africans who continue to build and enrich its democracy.

The report gives a critical review of what has been done over the 30 years since South Africa’s democracy.

It is the fifth review since 1994.

“While this 30-year review is about the journey South Africa has traversed since the advent of democracy, it is also a reflection on progress towards the aspirations of the Freedom Charter and our democratic constitution,” said Ramaphosa on Wednesday. “This review is undertaken as a tribute to all those who fought for our freedom, and for all South Africans who have worked together to build and enrich our democracy.”

The scope of the 30 Year Review Report is not only retrospective, it also looks to the future, said Ramaphosa. The insights the review has generated will inform future government planning.

“It will assist us as we work to achieve the vision of the National Development Plan by 2030 and as we plan for the decades ahead.”

The report, compiled by the department of planning, monitoring & evaluation with the help of other government departments, will contribute towards improved policy implementation, he said.

The democratic breakthrough of 1994 represented a decisive break with a painful past and an opportunity for South Africa to chart a new course.

“Guided by our constitution and its bill of rights, successive democratic administrations have implemented progressive policies and programmes to uplift the material conditions of all South Africans, particularly society’s most vulnerable,” he said. “These policies have included the provision of basic services, housing, education, health care and social support.

“We have established a unitary, democratic state and created institutions to uphold democracy and promote accountability. We have an independent judiciary, a robust civil society, a free media and a clear separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government.”

Ramaphosa said the government had advanced transformative policies to change the racial and gender composition of the economy and the workplace and implemented laws to protect workers and advance their rights.

“We have restored land to many who had been dispossessed and have provided emerging farmers with the means to productively use their land.”

With all that has been achieved, much more still needed to be done.

“We are contending with slow economic growth, high unemployment, poverty, inequality and underdevelopment,” he said.

“We know that for millions of South Africans, the promise of 1994 has not yet translated into the meaningful change that they seek and deserve. That is why we must, and we will, continue to work in earnest to resolve the challenges that are holding back our progress.

“We continue our efforts to overcome the energy crisis, to implement structural reforms to boost economic growth, to drive programmes that create more employment, and to improve the capacity of the state to deliver services.”

The report acknowledged that:

• the economy is performing below its full potential;
• unemployment is high;
• poverty is persistent in pockets of broader society;
• inequality is stubbornly high and racially biased;
• the human development gains made are under threat due to the challenges of energy and water security;
• the gaps in service delivery compromise the quality of services and impact the most vulnerable in society.

“To effectively address these challenges, we must invest in strengthening state capacity and fostering active citizenry and social partnerships to build greater determination towards developing South Africa,” the report said.