Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Maropene Ramokgopa, says the year 2024 represents a critical milestone in the country’s history, as it reflects and celebrates 30 years of the democratic dispensation.

‘Part of this journey of reflection requires that we critically engage in the performance of the State and society more broadly in responding to the pressing developmental needs of our people,’ said the Minister on Friday.

Ramokgopa was addressing the National Planning Commission’s Strategic Lekgotla, which was convened under the theme, ‘National Planning Commission (NPC): Taking the NDP Forward’.

Ramokgopa said along the journey of building a democratic society, South Africans have been empowered with key development plans and programmes, including the Freedom Charter of 1955; the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) of 1994; the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996; the Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) of 1996; the National
Development Plan (NDP) of 2012, and the Medium Term Strategic Frameworks under each administration, amongst others.

‘Therefore, we are convinced and have evidence to prove that South Africa today is completely different from the South Africa we inherited in 1994,’ Ramokgopa said.

She said the road to democracy is one characterised by years of struggle, resistance, resilience and unity under a common agenda for the liberation of South Africans.

‘We must never find ourselves trivialising the hard-earned gains of our young democracy. Instead, we must find ways collectively to defend and advance these gains for the Tintswalos and many before and after her.

‘We must also look at the state of the 35 – 45 years population cohort, who are the cohort immediately before Tintswalos.

‘This cohort would have benefitted from the youth focused development programmes rolled out by government in the last 30 years, and it would be valuable to assess their state of socio-economic wellbeing to assess the impact of these pro
grammes,’ Ramokgopa said.

As the country approaches the end of the 6th administration, the Minister said it must be able to interrogate, plan and develop mitigation strategies that are associated with a transition of this nature.

‘South Africa today is faced with a political environment that is charged, and if not managed properly, it has the potential to diminish democratic gains.

‘We also need to robustly engage in the disjuncture between local and national government, and its impact on the populace, particularly the poor and working class, in terms of the provision of basic services, including access to clean water,’ Ramokgopa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency