President Cyril Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for leadership, not leaders, in what he termed a new era for South Africa, following the previous decade of stand-offs between government and the private sector.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the Discovery Leadership Summit, in Johannesburg, on Thursday, when he stated that leadership should not be contained to one single person, but should be adopted on a multilateral level, across all sectors and industries, to create good governance in both the public and private sectors.
In this regard, he paid tribute to Discovery, and its CE Adrian Gore, for fulfilling this mandate.
The President said South Africa was still contending with the legacy of Apartheid, which has bestowed issues of poverty, inequality and underdevelopment, denying large numbers of people access to skills, assets and opportunities to participate meaningfully in the economy.
He said greater economic growth was imperative for overcoming these challenges, stressing that growth must be inclusive and sustainable.
Striving for inclusive and sustainable growth must also include investment in and adapting to the “workplace of the future”, which would be influenced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he stated.
Ramaphosa also emphasised the necessity of land reform, indicating that it would be managed fairly, as “South Africa belongs to all”.