VISION 2025 PLANNING THE FUTURE WITH A VISION

When the new administration under President Jacob Zuma came into office last year, the Presidency decided to set up a National Planning Commission. It will plan development over a long period into the future to help government provide better service to the people.

Government's Planning Commission will co-operate with different levels of government, as well as with non-governmental organisations and professional bodies. They will work together to plan goals to be achieved over 15 years.

15-year plan

Government became aware that a five-year period between elections was too short to finish the main objective of building a prosperous, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society. The commission is therefore working on a 15-year plan called Vision 2025.

The Vision 2025 plan will show government what kind of society all South Africans would like to see in 15 years' time.

Government will use this plan as a guide in achieving its objectives for the nation. It will set out the main goals in relation to social, economic and political development.

Some of the questions that need to be answered by the 15-year plan are:

• How far will government have reduced poverty and inequality?
• How many people will be employed in what kind of jobs, and how will government care for the remaining unemployed?
• How much will violent crime be reduced, and how will government achieve this objective?
• How much will the health system be improved, and how low will the rates of TB and HIV and AIDS infection fall?
• How many children will finish school and how many will go to colleges and universities?
• How many of South Africans will need private vehicles to get to school and to work, and how will the public transport system operate?
• Where will most South Africans be living? How many people would have moved from rural areas to the cities and how will government plan for that? In other words, by how much will government expect the contribution and wealth of rural areas to improve?
• What will the average economic growth rate be to allow South Africa to achieve its other goals, and how will it reach that growth rate?

Skills and jobs

In addition to planning, Government will also do research on issues like food security and climate change, as well as skills development and job creation.

- Mbulelo Baloyi

With Vision 2025, government can confidently plan for the future with solid guidelines and a clear vision.