ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is set to unveil the party’s economic action plan on Monday after a two-day special meeting of its national executive committee (NEC) over the weekend.
The strategy will guide the ANC’s policy priorities over the next 18 months as it seeks to tackle SA’s sluggish economic growth ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The economic blueprint comes on the heels of the party’s local government action plan released in September, which aims to address widespread municipal dysfunction and improve service delivery. The ANC is expected to use both plans to shape government policy and bolster its governance record in the run-up to the polls.
Business Day understands that the plan is closely aligned with proposals tabled by the National Treasury and the department of trade, industry & competition at last week’s cabinet lekgotla. Those proposals call for greater private sector participation and measures to make municipalities more investor-friendly.
Mon: Ramaphosa to unveil ANC economic action plan; parliamentary oversight visits continue in Eastern Cape.
Tue: Mashatile in Senegal; G20 finance & central bank deputies’ meeting continues.
Wed: Ramaphosa in Ireland; fourth G20 energy transitions working group meeting.
Thu: Ramaphosa in Belgium; Mashatile in South Sudan; fourth G20 trade & investment working group meeting.
Fri: NEC review of economic action plan; parliamentary committees report on municipalities.
The action plan will identify underperforming areas and set targets over different time frames. The goal is to replicate the success of Eskom’s efficiency improvements in other network industries like Transnet and Prasa, the ANC head of its economic transformation committee, Zuko Godlimpi, said at the weekend.
“Part of what the action plan will do is to itemise what area of underperformance we are going to be dealing with and over what time horizon,” Godlimpi said.
“So we’ll split it into three months, six months and then targets going forward. The other presentation will be on building on the Eskom story. We’ll also look at timelines for logistics within the broader network industries reform agenda, which is essential,” he said.
Presidential visits aim to diversify trade markets
Ramaphosa and deputy president Paul Mashatile will undertake working visits on the continent and Europe as part of SA’s push to diversify its trade markets and look for new markets for its exports.
Ramaphosa is scheduled to undertake working visits to Ireland and Belgium on Wednesday and Thursday. Mashatile is scheduled to be in Senegal on Tuesday and South Sudan on Thursday.
Leading up to the G20 leaders’ summit in November, the ministerial meetings of the G20 working groups continue. This week SA will host the fourth energy transitions working group meeting, the fourth trade and investment working group meeting and the fifth finance and central bank deputies’ meeting.
Oversight visits to underperforming municipalities
In parliament a joint oversight delegation comprising the portfolio committee on co-operative governance and traditional affairs and the standing committee on the auditor-general will go on an oversight visit to Eastern Cape to assess underperforming municipalities. The joint committees have previously assessed municipalities in Free State, North West and Gauteng.
Nineteen municipalities, including the two metros — Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City — are expected to appear before the joint oversight delegation. “The municipalities will have to account for several persistent challenges, including disclaimers and poor financial statements,” parliament said in a statement.
“Municipalities such as Makana and Sundays River Valley, for example, continue to receive disclaimers for several years. Municipal leadership in these municipalities will also have to account for environmental degradation related to the neglect of landfill sites and wastewater treatment works that are causing pollution and affecting nearby communities,” parliament said.
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