President Jacob Zuma says supporting small enterprises and broad based economic empowerment will be a key strategy in growing the economy to create millions of decent jobs by 2030.

He said this would be guided by government’s plan to industrialise the economy by bolstering the small business sector – in line with the National Development Plan (NDP).

The President said this during a sitting of the National Assembly when responding to a question from ANC MP Joanmariae Fubbs on Thursday.

“The National Development Plan represents a long term strategy to eradicate poverty and reduce unemployment and reduce inequality by 2030.

“The industrial Policy Action Plan supports the re-industrialisation of the economy. We have set a target of 5% growth rate by 2014 and aim to use these instruments to achieve this target.

“Primarily, we have begun to institutionalise long term planning, integration and coordination capacity within the state to drive industrialisation, infrastructure development.

“Our key strategy is also to support small enterprises, cooperatives and broad-based black economic empowerment. We will also mobilise the active participation of all sectors including business and labour to move our country forward towards a 5% growth target,” he said.

Fubbs had asked how the New Growth Path was related to the NDP, and where the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) fitted in the context of the NDP. Fubbs had also asked how the NDP was envisaged to create jobs.

According to the NDP, 95% of all jobs will come from small and medium enterprises by the year 2030.

Appointment of NDPP head

Zuma also spent some time clarifying why he has yet to table the terms of reference to determine the time frames of how long the commission of enquiry that was established to probe the appointment of the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) head Mxolisi Nxasana.

The President said he had met with Nxasana and that after hearing the NDPP’s side of the story, he was still applying his mind.

“I also halted a process related to the inquiry to allow that meeting. At the meeting he tabled a few issues, to which I am still applying my mind. Both of us halted the activities. He halted the challenge in court, and I halted the enquiry. As government it is absolutely important to hear what people say. And to me, that meeting was important.”

The NDPP recently launched a court application in a bid to have his suspension set aside.

Meanwhile, an hour into the President’s oral reply session, National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete was forced to suspend the sitting after members belonging to the EFF disrupted proceedings following their unhappiness with Zuma’s response to questions related to the Public Protector’s report on the Nkandla upgrades.