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JOHANNESBURG. — The National Development Plan (NDP) will take centre stage when President Jacob Zuma begins his second term as head of state later this month.
After securing a 62,15 percent victory in the elections, the ANC will focus on closing the loopholes in delivery issues that might be exploited by the Economic Freedom Fighters and the soon-to-be-formed socialist party that is being championed by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA. There will be no major changes to government structures because the ANC feels it cannot afford any more experimentation and that ministers should just move on to implementing policies.
Some of the changes could include:
- Merging the land and agriculture departments;
- Starting a government department for small business;
- Starting a health council to tackle lifestyle diseases;
- Merging sports and recreation with arts and culture; and,
- Merging the department of women, children and people with disabilities with that of social development.
City Press has learnt that high on the agenda of Zuma’s next term will be job creation, support for small business, overhauling the health system and fixing the water infrastructure.
ANC chairperson Baleka Mbete, who is set for a Cabinet post, is heading a party committee that will look at restructuring the Cabinet. Three sources with information about the process told City Press that Planning Minister Trevor Manuel was not likely to be replaced when he leaves government at the end of his current term of office. The National Planning Commission will either then fall under the remaining minister in the Presidency or under ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, who is expected to become the country’s deputy president.
Various ANC leaders have confirmed that the small business function will be separate from the department of trade and industry.
The proposed national health council will focus on dealing with lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes. It will enforce regulations on salt and alcohol consumption, among other things.
The council will be headed by the deputy president, the health minister and a senior health professional President Zuma will appoint a new Cabinet soon after his inauguration as president for a second term on May 24. ANC leaders are also debating whether to merge the departments of land reform and agriculture and whether a separate department should be created to deal with water infrastructure.
“Land reform has failed to reach its targets in the past five years, while the relationship between the ministers in the two portfolios has not always been smooth.
“People feel water should be alone as a ministry as it is such an important issue. Another consideration is to merge it with local government as water is supplied by local municipalities,” the source said.
Senior ANC leader Lindiwe Sisulu said the new government structure would be guided by the requirements of the National Development Plan.
“The future of the government is the NDP,” she said. Sisulu said the “few grey areas in relation to Cosatu” would be dealt with. “But in other areas, we bought into the NDP lock stock and barrel, so that is exactly the way we are going.” Sisulu said the splitting of some government departments in 2009, like basic education and higher education, was done because certain issues needed more attention. — City Press.
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