South African Cabinet has approved the establishment of the National Economic Recovery Council which president Cyril Ramaphosa will chair, Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu said on Thursday.
The deputy president and other ministers will also be part of the Council aimed at ensuring the smooth implementation of the economic reconstruction and recovery plan announced recently by the president.
“The council will meet monthly to oversee implementation of the economic reconstruction and recovery plan and also to interface with the social partners in the national economic development,” Mthembu said at a briefing in Pretoria.
Mthembu further said the recovery plan required all sectors to work together to rebuild the economy.
Some of the plan’s priorities are the infrastructure, energy sector and job creation.
“The first being a massive roll-out of infrastructure. The second priority area is to expand energy generation capacity with government,” he noted. “The third key area is that of an employment stimulus to create jobs and support livelihoods.”
He also said the Cabinet welcomed the arrests of officials implicated in fraud, corruption and money laundering allegations recently. Some were accused of looting COVID-19 funds.
“The recent arrests are a testament that no one is above the law and they demonstrate government’s commitment to hold to account those who continue to break the law by robbing poor South Africans of much needed government assistance,” he added.
