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HARAMBEE HAS ARRIVED! SEE THE SCOOP ON PAGE 6
VOL.4 #5 FRIDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 2017
INSIDE THIS ISSUE PAGE 2
REST IN PEACE CAPT. JOOST
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BLF 26 APPPEAR IN COURT!
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Gauteng Provincial Legislature Speaker, Hon. Ntombi Mekgwe, swears in the New Health MEC Dr Gwen Ramokgopa at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature chambers on Monday, February 6.
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ANDILE MNGWEVU DONATES 100 SCHOOL UNIFORMS!
SONA 2017: RADICAL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION
Radical economic transformation will be at the centre of Government's priorities for 2017, President Jacob Zuma declared on Thursday night (February 9), during his televised annual address to the nation.
“Today we are beginning a new chapter of radical transformation, the state will play a role in the economy to drive that transformation," the President said in the State of the Nation Address given to a joint seating of parliament. The State of the Nation Address comes at a time when the economy is not growing fast enough to create much needed jobs in the country. President Zuma said the government anticipates an economic growth rate of 1.3% in 2017. But, unemployment remains a huge challenge, hence Government's nine-point plan to restore growth so the economy can create jobs, he said. He said the time had come for the state to move a step further to ensure an overhaul of the economic structure of the country for the benefit of all citizens - not just a few. “The gap between the annual average household incomes of African-headed households and their white counterparts remains shockingly huge. White households earn at least five times more than black households, according to Statistics SA. “The situation with regards to the ownership of the economy also mirrors that of household incomes. Only ten percent of the top one hundred companies on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
are owned by black South Africans, directly- of wealth. achieved principally, through the black empower“The pace of transformation in the workplace, ment codes, according to the National Empower- the implementation of affirmative action policies ment Fund,” President Zuma said. as required by the Employment Equity Act, also remains very slow. At the level of gender at senThe president also spoke at length about a cluster ior management level, males remain dominant at of issues that still faced the South African economy 67.6% and females at 32.4% percent.” and these need to be addressed if the country is The President expressed discomfort over the to address the socio-economic challenges it faces. fact that the representation of whites at top manThese include, among others, the issue of inequal- agement level amounted to 72 percent whilst Afity in the workplace and an uneven redistribution rican representation was at 10 percent, according
to the 2015/16 information submitted to the Employment Equity Commission. The representation of Coloureds stood at 4.5% and Indians 8.7%. President Zuma told the house that the twisted nature of economic ownership and leadership patterns needed to be corrected. There could be no sustainability in any economy if the majority is excluded, he said. “In my discussions with the business community, they accepted these transformation imperatives. Today we are starting a new chapter of radical socio-economic transformation. We are saying that we should move beyond words, to practical programmes.” The state will play a role in the economy to drive that transformation. In this regard, Government will utilise to the maximum, the strategic levers that are available to the state,” said President said. One of the most notable aspects of SONA 2017 was probably the President’s statement the state will increase its power to use the Expropriation Act to pursue land reform and land redistribution, in line with the Constitution. “It will be difficult if not impossible, to achieve true reconciliation until the land question is resolved. “Only eight million hectares of arable land have been transferred to black people, which is only 9.8 percent of the 82 million hectares of arable land in South Africa.
2017 SONA CONTINUES ON PAGE 2