Speaker, Dudu Msomi wrote in this week's edition of the Financial Mail that we all need to focus our attention on the shortcomings of both the public and private sector and be honest about it.
Nineteen years into democracy, many spheres of society have truly not undergone a mental revolution. Some are still living in the past. Dr Anton Rupert warned us to stop looking into rear-view mirrors, as they only reflect the past; rather to worry about the future because we can influence it.
The state of the economy is that we cannot act as if it is business as usual. The labour situation is out of control. The strikes called in the transport and education sectors are seriously sending a wrong message to business confidence.
It appears that the power struggle between some elements in government and the Cosatu leadership, and the struggle within the labour sector allows organised labour to act in silos to protect its own sectoral interests and not put South Africa first.
We are struggling to maintain our growth rate at 2,5%. We all should realise that we are in this dilemma together and that we have to embrace the National Development Plan. We have to stop the self-sabotage approach of labour and realise that, after 19 years of democracy, it should be a thing of the past for any of us to act in an irresponsible manner.