Pretoria – As the country and the globe continue to battle against tight economic conditions, South Africans have been urged to live within their means to help the economy recover.
This is according to Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, who briefed media ahead of the Cabinet Lekgotla, in Pretoria, on Thursday.
Minister Radebe said government has been operating in a gloomy economic climate domestically and abroad, but President Jacob Zuma and his Cabinet are determined to weather the storm.
“We are going to be weathering the storm. We are not going to exceed our expenditure ceiling. We are going to be living within our means, so there has to be sacrifices not only from government but South Africans, so that we can move from strength to strength,” said the Minister.
He said if this is achieved, the economy will experience a turnaround in the future.
The Minister assured the cost-cutting measures being implemented will not mean government will compromise on the basic needs of citizens.
More, said Minister Radebe, will be heard when the President delivers the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 11 February.
The Cabinet Lekgotla, currently underway at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse, is convened by President Jacob Zuma and is attended by Cabinet Ministers.
The programme, which will see ministers giving reports on various issues in their portfolios, will run until Friday.
The Cabinet Lekgotla is held every year around this time for the President to outline government’s programme of action and to prepare for the SONA.
Minister Radebe said the meeting will assess the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP), particularly the five year plan – the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF).
The agenda has also provided for discussions on the infrastructure development plan, issues around industrialisation with a specific focus on beneficiation, small business development, and research and development.
He said the lekgotla will also discuss the fiscal framework and security in the country.
“Right now we are dealing with the MTSF. I am giving a report on the monitoring and evaluation on the implementation of the NDP,” said the Minister.
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