SA must rally around common vision to beat cost-of-living crisis, says Minister Godongwana

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said that cushioning South Africans from the devastating impact of the cost-of-living crisis required people to rally around a common vision.

Godongwana spoke to the publication on the sidelines of the African National Congress (ANC) policy conference gathering, saying that the government was focused on providing relief to various elements of the crisis.

The overriding sentiment from the ANC policy conference was that government should act urgently to support consumers and businesses as prices rose rapidly.

Different governments across the world are looking at introducing support packages for citizens and industries to deal with the cost-of-living crisis, which has been exacerbated by the Ukraine-Russia war among other disruptions.

Back home, Godongwana reflected on the challenges, saying that South Africans must live with hope.

“We are facing challenges as a country; we have had challenges in the past. What we need to do is to mobilize every South African around the common vision of taking this country out of these challenges. Government alone will not do it. We are calling out to all South African citizens, associations, whatever, and work with us,” the finance minister said.

He explained that delegates at the ANC conference were coming out of extreme darkness, with many reflecting on community-specific challenges.

While Godongwana did not want to be drawn into a discussion over the economic transformation commission’s work at the conference, he said that people at the gathering were “coming out of extreme darkness”.

In other news – Kelly Khumalo fears her son might be like Jub Jub

South African singer, Kelly Khumalo fears her son, Christian might take after his father, Jub Jub. In the latest episode of her Showmax reality show which was released on Tuesday 26 July, the singer revealed that the 12-year-old is entitled like his father.

Kelly Khumalo tried to make Christian happy on his birthday by gifting him something he desires, but he exuded entitlement without gratitude, which pissed Kelly off. Learn More