Ramaphosa defends the size of his expanding presidency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the size of the presidency and the many inquiries he appoints to look into burning issues.

Besides Ramaphosa and his deputy, Paul Mashatile, there are four cabinet ministers in the presidency and four deputy ministers.

Responding to the heated presidency budget vote on Thursday, Ramaphosa said as the presidency, they believed more space should be created for collaboration among social partners to solve pressing economic and human development problems.

“We have therefore sought to build a presidency that is inclusive and collaborative. We have worked to bring government, business, labour, civil society and other social formations around a single objective of building a better South Africa that leaves no-one behind.

“This is the essence of building a social compact.”

Ramaphosa said government was able to drive a well-coordinated and aligned national response to the Covid-19 pandemic because it came together with business, labour and civil society instead of working independently.

“The impact of the Solidarity Fund is well known, as is the private sector contribution to the national vaccine rollout.

“We can also credit such collaboration for the success of other endeavours,” he said.

Ramaphosa said in considering the size of the presidency, as with government more broadly, SA needs to ask how best government should be organised to meet the country’s needs.

In his speech on Wednesday, IFP MP Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi had raised concern about the composition of the presidency.

“It is not about counting heads, but about attracting the necessary capacity, requisite skills and technical expertise to fulfill our crucial mandate,” Ramaphosa said in response. 

“Our country has considerable challenges relating to inequality, educational outcomes, joblessness, disparity in the quality of health care received by our citizens, gender-based violence and crime, to name but a few. As the presidency, it is our responsibility to drive progress on strategic priorities from the centre of government.”

This was the reason the presidency was coordinating important initiatives on economic reform, employment creation, poverty alleviation and gender-based violence. Through these initiatives, it ensures that the work of government is properly aligned, prioritised and effectively implemented. The presidency comprises specialised staff, including policy advisors, legal experts, communication professionals and researchers, said Ramaphosa.

Within the country’s fiscal constraints, his presidency has been able to mobilise resources and capabilities from various quarters through secondment and voluntary service.

“This has enabled us to make progress on several fronts that would not have been possible without such innovative approaches.

“We have also put to good effect the power to establish commissions of inquiry. These have enabled the presidency to inquire into and establish the facts around various matters of public concern.”

He said the inquiries have led to important reforms. These include recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Tax Administration and Governance which were acted upon by Sars and supported the institution’s turnaround.

The recommendations of the 2018 high-level review panel on the State Security Agency are guiding the transformation of the state security architecture.

The law-enforcement agencies and security services are implementing the recommendations of the Expert Panel into the July 2021 unrest.

Across government, departments, SOEs and public entities are implementing the many and varied recommendations of the state capture commission.

“This work is crucial for the national effort to eradicate corruption and ensure that state capture is never allowed to occur again.”

Ramaphosa said fundamental to the approach of his presidency is to draw on the expertise, experience and capabilities of formations and individuals across society.

“We have therefore established several advisory bodies, bringing together a wide variety of people to provide insights and inputs based on expert knowledge and sound evidence,” he said.

• The Presidential Economic Advisory Council continues to play a vital role in advising both the president and relevant ministers on the most important economic challenges facing the country. Ramaphosa said the council has contributed to the development of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan in the wake of the pandemic and to the Energy Action Plan.
• The Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council is supporting the implementation of the fundamental overhaul of the architecture of state-owned enterprises. It is undertaking detailed work to identify the actions needed to turn strategic SOEs around and to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of SOEs into the future.
• The presidential climate commission brings together a unique blend of different social stakeholders to guide climate actions, including the approach to a just transition to a low carbon society. Apart from its advice to the president, the climate commission has undertaken extensive social engagement and consultation to ensure that those people affected by the actions the government takes are involved in the decision-making process.
• More recently, the National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council was established to both advise government and mobilise society around a comprehensive programme to end corruption in all its forms. The council proceeds from the understanding that corruption is often embedded in the structures, processes and cultures of our institutions, both in the public and private sectors, and that SA needs systemic change to rid the society of corruption. The National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council is undertaking valuable work to support the implementation of the recommendations of the state capture commission.
• The Presidential BBBEE Advisory Council that was inaugurated last year is tasked with reviewing progress around BBBEE, reviewing sector charters, advising on the various transformation charters and overall charting the next trajectory for BBBEE. It has been critical to the presidency that there is broad representation on these advisory councils and that they draw on the best in society.

Ramaphosa said each of these bodies brings together talented and experienced South Africans who add value to the work of government and support the presidency in particular in the fulfilment of its responsibilities.

“We cannot assure mutual prosperity, we cannot overcome poverty and inequality, we cannot emerge from the power crisis and we cannot resolve longstanding challenges, unless we forge such partnerships.”

He said the presidency is the centre of government with the executive authority of the republic vested in the president.

“This means that the presidency needs to be structured, resourced and capacitated to exercise both its constitutional responsibilities and the electoral mandate for which it is responsible.”

TimesLIVE