Planning Commission Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that the work of the National Planning Commission (NPC) clashed with that of the economic development ministry.

Briefing the media ahead of the presidency budget vote debate in the National Assembly, Manuel said, among other things, the NPC had to produce a longer-term "Vision South Africa 2025" within 18 months.

"We see that as a process that is likely to involve quite a lot of discussion across the board in South Africa to get the views of a wide cross-section of South Africans," he said.

"The second task we have to perform is to produce a plan; visions are visions, they are broad, frequently general, they are aspirations. But plans have to be detailed and supported by numbers.

"And so we have to produce the first ever national development plan for South Africa within that period of 18 months as well," Manuel said.

Asked how this related to the new growth plan for the economy currently being drawn up by Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel's ministry, he said the NPC's mandate was clear.

The NPC was appointed by President Jacob Zuma, and every member of the commission had a certificate of appointment from the President.

The NPC's composition had been cleared with Cabinet, and at its inaugural meeting on Tuesday, Zuma had stated that it carried the full weight of support of the entire executive.

The NPC was established in terms of a green paper approved by Parliament.

"It has a remit that is set out there. A remit which is clear; it has also a set of requirements in terms of the monitoring and evaluation for the minister assigned there to deliver on. "One of the performance elements that I have, is to deliver, in 18 months, a national vision, a national plan...", Manuel said.

"If there are other clubs or societies around, let them exist. We have a job of work to do and we will do that job of work because it's in the national interest as the President asked of the National Planning Commission yesterday."

Manuel also referred to a newspaper headline on Wednesday morning quoting Zuma as saying to the NPC "please don't pander to Cabinet, do what you must". "So I don't need a second invitation on that. It's abundantly clear what we must do and we will do it," Manuel said.

"The President said you have a task, which is not to stroke the back of the executive. Your task is to be critical, to be independent, to be forceful and to bring government back from what frequently would be a set of ad hoc decisions.

"I thought he was abundantly strong about that and the commission, I think, feels incredibly empowered by the strength of leadership that was offered by President Zuma to it at its inaugural meeting yesterday [Tuesday].

"So... ours is going to be a longer vision, it's going to deal with these issues; line-function ministers have their responsibility, and we exist as the National Planning Commission outside of those responsibilities," he said.

"All policy involves trade-offs. There is a situation where the work of the National Planning Commission will be taken to Cabinet.

"There will of course be intense debates around that, there always are debates around those kind of things, and we must leave that to work itself out. "If you try and prejudge some ideological nook, then I think you're setting yourself up for failure.

"Because ultimately what needs to happen in economic planning is that the numbers must talk as well, and frequently numbers are going to speak louder than words. And that's what we must get down to," he said.

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation and Administration Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane, said the policy paper on planning outlined the responsibility and role of the planning commission, and "that has been adopted and there's no question about it".

The 18-month process would involve wide consultation with South African society and therefore anybody with an input to make would do so within that process.

Every view would be considered in the finalisation of the long-term plan, Chabane said.

Manuel was also asked about perceived criticism that the NPC contained too many "bosses".

"I'm saying that the President made the appointment of the commissioners in his wisdom. The commissioners have said that they will act as one regardless of who nominated them and that is how it will be," Manuel responded.