Towards the Growth and Development Summit
Extract from Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel's budget speech, February 2003
Madam Speaker, against a background of faltering growth and uncertain prospects internationally, South Africa enters 2003 with a strengthening currency, robust investment growth, rising business confidence and a moderate recovery in the employment trend.
Measures to ensure that broad-based development accompanies this growth will be the subject of a Growth and Development Summit later this year. Our approach places freedoms – political, social and economic freedoms – at the centre of our development strategy. Key elements include:
Progressive broadening of the income security net, revitalised health services and targeted poverty reduction initiatives A national skills development strategy, focused on productivity enhancement and learning opportunities for the unemployed Redistribution and restitution of land, coupled with investment in rural development and agricultural support services Public administration reform, founded on respect for citizens' rights, courteous and efficient service delivery, modernisation of systems and honest, accountable governance Investment in infrastructure, technology advancement and industrial expansion, in partnership with the private sector Strengthening the fight against crime and combating corruption Widening access to financial services, integration of small businesses into the formal economy and further easing of the tax burden on low and middle-income households A sustainable, broad-based and transparent approach to black economic empowerment Deepening of democracy, promoting peace and security and expanding investment and trade as principles of international co-operation and the New Partnership for Africa 's Development.
Extract from Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel's budget speech, February 2003
"Will the Growth and Development Summit (GDS) take place on May 10?" seems to be the question most on people's lips these days.
The idea of a GDS was first agreed on in the Ekurhuleni meeting of the Alliance in May 2001. A date was set for the GDS for April 2002. It was then postponed until later that year and then postponed again until early 2003. The ANC's 51st National Conference at the end of last year reaffirmed the commitment to hold the Summit .
Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel's budget speech earlier this year, gave further details of the upcoming summit (see box for details) and the date was set for May this year.
The Alliance has set out task teams to draw up documents around different themes.
Alliance task teams
Thematic area
Drafter
Reference Group
Investment and productivity
Alec Erwin (ANC)
Ebrahim Patel (Cosatu)
Rob Davies (SACP)
Job creation
Gwede Mantashe (Cosatu)
Jeff Radebe (ANC)
Membathisi Mdladlana (ANC)
Phillip Dexter (SACP)
Social equity and black economic empowerment
Mlungisi Hlongwane (Sanco)
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (ANC);
Zola Skweyiya (ANC);
Randal Howard (Cosatu)
Local initiatives, micro-enterprise
and co-operatives
Yunus Carrim (SACP)
Sydney Mafumadi (ANC)
Judy Mulqueeny (SACP)
Master Mahlobogoane (Sanco)
Price stability and inflation
Trevor Manuel (ANC)
Silumko Nondwangu (Cosatu)
Linda Mngomezulu (Sanco)
But with a month to go, details are sketchy as to what is happening.
There is some talk that there will be mini-summits to address the themes before the May summit so that the summit becomes more of a ceremonial signing of an agreement.
But there is still no consensus on what are the exact themes. Government wants its themes as spelt out by Manuel, Cosatu has said that it wants to add restructuring of state assets and the AIDS treatment plan.
ANC spokesperson, Smuts Ngonyama, has already rejected these additions on the grounds that they have been dealt with on "a number of occasions".
Watch the press for updates!
BIG update
For the past few years, Cosatu has been an active participant of the Basic Income Grant coalition – a grouping of organisations that argues that everyone in this country should receive a basic income grant (BIG) of R100 per month.
After the ANC's 51st Conference agreed to "continue to engage progressive forces campaigning for the introduction of the Basic Income Grant (BIG) on our approach of focusing on a comprehensive social security system", the BIG coalition wrote to the ANC Secretariat suggesting a meeting.
However, as at the time of writing, they had received an acknowledgement of receipt of letter but no meeting had been arranged.
"While we welcomed the recent extension of the childcare grant to the age of 14 as a step towards a comprehensive social security system," says Sidney Kgara from Cosatu's parliamentary office, "it is problematic because it is staggered and it still excludes thousands that need it." This year the age will be extended to children under nine, and next year to under 11s.
However Kgara is hopeful that the BIG issue could be covered in the Growth and Development Summit (GDS) by the social equity and black economic empowerment theme.
The BIG coalition will also submit a document to the Department of Social Welfare and Population Development ahead of the July cabinet meeting. This will discuss the whole Taylor Committee report on social security.
"Our belief is that the childcare grant must be comprehensive and include all children up to 18 years old. The Basic Income Grant is also part of this," says Kgara.
Source
Numsa News