For those who are unaware, the ANC’s National Development Plan was instigated back in 2012. The goal behind it was to address poverty and related social problems by the year 2030. This was not some pie-in-the-ski thinking, it was billed as a chance for all South Africans – from various walks of life – to shape the next chapter of their lives.
In fact, the National Development Plan was chaired by then Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, under the National Planning Commission (NPC). And Manuel said its outcomes were the perspective of thousands of dedicated South Africans.
GOVERNMENT’S NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Central to the National Development Plan was a GDP per capita target the ANC would generate for each citizen by 2030. This would be R120 000 per person, up from R50 000 back in 2010. However, nearly one-and-a-half decades down the line and that target has been missed spectacularly, reports Daily Investor.
As such, the 2030 National Development Plan’s goal was a GDP per capita increase of R70 000 per person over twenty years. To get this you simply divide the total GDP of the country by the population. And the figure you’re left with is essentially a measure of the country’s economic output per person.
SPECTACULAR FAILURE
To attain the National Development goal, South Africa’s GDP needed to increase by 5.4% over two decades. However, our GDP has not only missed that figure massively, it’s actually decreased! From R50 000 in 2010, South Africa only has a GDP per capita of R47 827 currently (as of 2024).
In fact, the only time it grew was in 2013, one year after the National Development Plan. It briefly increased to R51 589, however, since then, it has only seen a marked deterioration by 4%. As such, the government has failed miserably to meet its targets. Experts say this happened because of state capture and the enduring difficultly of doing business in South Africa.
NO NDP SUGGESTIONS WERE EXECUTED
The National Development Plan 2030 aimed to attract offshore businesses and open up immigration. Instead, business-unfriendly policies like BEE and Affirmative Action (AA) have persisted. Meanwhile, crime and unemployment continue to hold poor communities down. Infrastructure (especially in Gauteng) is collapsing, local government is failing its citizens and residents face high taxes due to billions wasted in bailouts.
DO YOU THINK THE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS WORTH THE PAPER IT’S PRINTED ON?
Let us know by getting in touch in the comment’s section below …
