President Ramaphosa Reaffirms Unity and Resolve of Government of National Unity

President Ramaphosa insisted that although South Africa faces a myriad of challenges and obstacles, the country is not a “hopeless case”.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) commitment to success despite ideological differences and the numerous challenges facing South Africa.

“We are now a Government of National Unity, formed in the cause of rebuilding our nation. We are committed to putting our differences aside and working together for the common good. I’m really pleased that the members of the GNU demonstrated a unity of purpose and the commitment they have to advancing the interests of all South Africans during the debate and in what they will be doing as leaders of the GNU.

“Behind us are 62 million South Africans who want and need us to succeed. And we will succeed as the GNU even though others don’t wish us well, succeed we shall. As Minister [Pieter] Groenewald has said, we have before us an opportunity to restore and build. So let us use this opportunity. In the challenging and difficult times we live; this unity will be our comfort, the unity that we are forging our courage, and it will be our greatest strength.

“It is time to get South Africa working again,” the President said on Monday.

President Ramaphosa delivered these remarks during his reply to the debate on the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA). The OPA, presented on Thursday night, was followed by a debate by political parties on Friday.

New Era

He acknowledged that the May 29 vote has reshaped the landscape of South African politics.

“Much of what has been said during this debate has confirmed that we have entered a new era in South African politics. It is an era of hope. It is an era of optimism for the people of our country and for its future. We must demonstrate in word and in deed that this is an era of a government of national unity and not a fleeting convenience.

“We have had, and will continue to have, points of divergence, as the spirited nature of the debate has demonstrated. At the same time, we all understand what is expected of us by those who put us here. They expect us to chart this country towards the ultimate goal of a better life for all. Talking to each other and working together and in the end, pulling in the same direction. That direction is towards the implementation of the Medium-Term Development Plan 2024-2029…the programme that will guide the seventh administration.”

Addressing Challenges

President Ramaphosa insisted that although South Africa faces a myriad of challenges and obstacles, the country is not a “hopeless case”.

“We are very much alive to the challenges we still face as a country. And yet we must remind ourselves that South Africa is not in the hopeless situation that some in the opposition benches want us to believe and have sought to loudly assert with sound and fury during this debate.

“South Africa is a country that has come a long way over the past 30 years. Let us never lose sight of that. Certainly, there have been setbacks and shortcomings. But we have done much to recover from these and are now committed to move forward with greater speed and impact,” he said.

Shared Prosperity

Pressing further, President Ramaphosa added that by working together, the GNU is “determined to rapidly scale up the pace of our efforts to bring development and shared prosperity to our people”.

“And in this effort, as Minister [John] Steenhuisen says, we need the builders, not the breakers or destroyers. We need weavers and not vultures. Those who share this vision of a better South Africa will find the doors of the Government of National Unity always open to cooperation and collaboration.

“It is expected of us all who have been entrusted with positions of leadership within the Government of National Unity and in this Parliament that we rise to the challenge to be builders and not breakers. We must be at the forefront of building a capable, ethical developmental state, of growing an inclusive economy, and reducing poverty,” President Ramaphosa said.