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Today’s third-quarter GDP numbers reveal that agriculture and farming appear to have been abandoned by the GNU. Agricultural output plummeted by nearly 29%, a staggering contraction that underscores the compounded challenges facing the sector. While the government cannot control drought or adverse weather, policy uncertainty and failing infrastructure, poor project management, and lack of extension services are wreaking havoc on the agricultural economy, leaving millions of South Africans jobless and without income.

According to Stats SA, South Africa’s GDP shrank by 0.3% in the third quarter, with annual growth crawling at just 0.3%. Rail, ports, and energy infrastructure remain grossly mismanaged, impacting agriculture negatively and dragging the economy further into stagnation. With freight rail volumes down 26% year-on-year and harbours operating below capacity, how can we expect the minimum 3% GDP growth required to create jobs and uplift communities?

The GNU has promised rapid, inclusive, and sustainable growth. However, ActionSA’s GNU Performance Tracker highlights how these promises ring hollow. To align with developing countries and Sub-Saharan African peers, ActionSA demands a minimum benchmark of 3% annual GDP growth. Anything less leaves South Africans falling further behind.

South Africa’s economic challenges are daunting but not insurmountable. What’s required is decisive leadership, bold policy reforms, and urgent investment in infrastructure. ActionSA remains committed to advancing solutions that foster economic growth, job creation, and prosperity for all South Africans. The time for excuses is over. The GNU must choose progress over stagnation – or risk being remembered as the government that failed its people.

Issued by ActionSA Member of Parliament Alan Beesley