REUTERS

National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel.

National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel jokingly says he has had to learn the Catholic prayer Hail Mary (Ave Maria in Latin) as the National Planning Commission races to deliver the Vision 2030 document by November 11.

Manuel, who is also chairman of the commission, was speaking at the media briefing on the commission’s online dialogue, NPC Jam, which began at noon on Thursday and will end 72 hours later on Saturday.

Seventeen hours after the dialogue opened, citizens had posted over 3 000 comments on subjects ranging from education to job creation and economic growth.

A jam is an internet-based platform powered by IBM software that allows for continuous discussion on a number of issues while at the same allowing those who are managing the dialogue to track emerging themes for further discussion.

“I have learnt to say Hail Mary,” Manuel said as he walked the media through the process of pulling together the country’s first long-term vision.

He said the limited time between now and the publication of the Vision 2030 document on Friday, November 11 at 11am meant “there will be severe limitation” on the amount of consultation.

The commission was using other social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, to tap ideas from South Africans on how to create a better, more prosperous future.

The commission had opted for a jam, Manuel said, because it allowed the commission to get “concentrated input” within the shortest possible time. The IBM technology would also enable the commission to sort through the comments submitted as quickly as possible.

“By early next week we will be able to distil a clear set of issues,” Manuel said.

The jam kicked off with 200 people logging on immediately, but there had been “a measure of incredulity”, Manuel said, as jammers initially suspected the online dialogue with members of the commission was a gimmick. But as time went by, they realised they were indeed chatting to Manuel and his colleagues and discussion began.

By 5am on Thursday, there had been 3 575 logins and 3 033 comments posted, the majority of the posts being those involving the discussion with Manuel.

“The difficulty with this is that it is very addictive,” Manuel said in response to commission deputy chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa’s jocular comment that the online dialogue seemed like a lot of work.

To induce Ramaphosa, who had yet to participate in the jam by the time of the media briefing between 4pm and 5pm pn Wednesday, Manuel told him IBM was offering cupcakes.

Ramaphosa, who had joined the dialogue by 6pm, responded: “They are my favourite.”

Manuel said that after the publication of the Vision 2030 document, the commission would also publish two to three reports each year on specific topics. - Political Bureau