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10 Commissioners from the National Planning Commission (NPC), led by Deputy Chair Cyril Ramaphosa began a public consultation process in the Eastern Cape Province to brief provincial leaders on the NPC diagnostic overview and elements of the vision statement which was released on 9th June 2011.

NPC commissioners met with provincial and local government, leaders from civil society this morning and engaged in dialogue about the 9 challenges identified is the diagnostic overview. There was appreciation expressed for the work done by the NPC and a strong view that the establishment of the NPC was in fact overdue. Many of the challenges identified by the NPC were shared by the Eastern Cape. The importance of a dialogue across the Eastern Cape was emphasized and a commitment given that the province would support this process and make proposals for the national vision and plan for South Africa in 2030.
In his opening address the Deputy Chairperson unpacked the tough challenges identified by the commission that South Africa needs to overcome to reduce poverty and inequality. These included challenges in education, unemployment, continuing apartheid spatial patterns that marginalise especially the rural poor. The prevalence of corruption at different levels in our society and unevenness in service delivery constitute serious challenges.

Commissioner Ramaphosa explained that the NPC has been given a clear mandate by the President to take an independent, critical view of the challenges facing South Africa. This required the NPC to take an evidence based approach to developing practical, integrated and workable plans to deal with the challenges. The NPC would thus be critical, not for the sake of being so, but for the purpose of confronting our challenges head on.

This work requires the support and involvement of all provinces and municipalities and the people of South Africa as a whole.

Eastern Cape representatives raised a plethora of ideas, comments and challenges ranging from corruption, land ownership, the structure of the economy, financial and fiscal management, rural development, education, health, poverty, energy, water and reaching across to issues of governance. In addressing the challenges that the NPC were to embrace it was noted that the NPC had to traverse the subject matter that deals with the “state of the State”. Participants implored the NPC to be bold and decisive in developing the plan that must be submitted to cabinet on 11 November 2011.

The need to resource any national plan was underlined as a critical success factor. It was emphasized that the allocation of resources to fund the plan must be directed to eliminate the inequality which persists in many parts of the Eastern Cape and South Africa as a whole.

MEC Musualle who was representing the Premier said “...this was a very good first bite! We welcome the commitment and undertaking by the NPC to come back to the Eastern Cape to engage on the details of the draft plan. As the Eastern Cape, we will study the documents and give our inputs through as the Province. “The NPC has come at the right time”, he said. “The country is calling for answers and it is the duty of the NPC and the nation as a whole to take the step forward and come with a decisive plan we want to see”.

Commissioner Ramaphosa said; “Our engagement with the Eastern Cape has been very valuable. This province shares the central challenge we have identified i.e. poverty, unemployment and lack of quality education. We received very valuable comments and ideas. Our dialogue has been enriched. It is going to be critical that the province develops practical solutions to these challenges so that these plans are integrated in to the national strategic plan and are placed on the national agenda. We will come back to the Eastern Cape later in the year to share the first draft of the national plan.”

Commissioners accompanying the Deputy Chairperson are Noluthando Gosa, Trueman Goba, Marcus Balintulo, Vuyo Mhlathi., Bridgette Gasa, Jennifer Molwantwa, Pascal Moloi and Tasneem Essop.