President Cyril Ramaphosa says the ANC is still the correct vehicle for economic transformation in SA.
“Renewal requires that we reaffirm the organisational culture and traditions of the ANC as a movement rooted among the people, representing their interests, concerns and aspirations,” Ramaphosa said at the opening of the ANC’s national general council (NGC) in Gauteng on Monday.
The ANC NGC’s 1,800 delegates, who gathered from branches around the country, gave Ramaphosa rousing applause. The NGC is a midterm review between national elective conferences.
He also confronted the decline of the manufacturing sector in South Africa, saying it was why it was important that the NGC discuss possible economic interventions.
“We should examine how our policies and programmes must be recalibrated and adjusted to better serve the people of our country. Delegates must interrogate how the ANC must be strengthen, renewed, recalibrated,” Ramaphosa said.
He insisted 2025 was not the right time to abandon economic redress in SA.
“The legacy of colonial dispossession and apartheid remains a defining feature of South African society, reflecting persistent inequality in wealth, income and access to land,” Ramaphosa said.
He also noted that under his stewardship, South Africa was on the correct economic path.
“In the last three years, inflation has fallen from 7.2% to 3.6%, providing relief to households and boosting demand in the economy,” Ramaphosa said.
During his address, he also defended the make-up of the government of national unity (GNU), which includes the DA.
“The ANC national executive committee agreed that the election results placed a responsibility on the ANC to ensure unity, stability, peace and progress in the country,” Ramaphosa said.
The call comes amid a legal challenge against black economic transformation and employment equity by the DA and AfriForum through South Africa’s courts. It is also central to the DA’s campaign for the next local government elections.
‘The theme of our NGC asks delegates to interrogate how the ANC must be united, strengthened and renewed to respond to the challenges and opportunities of our time," Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, speculation the ANC NGC would call for Ramaphosa to step down as the party’s president has not been raised at the four-day meeting.
Ramaphosa is in his second term as party president. While there is no term limit as ANC president, as head of state he can only serve two terms, which comes to an end in 2029.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.