ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa addressing an ANC provincial policy conference in Stellenbosch called on the party to craft policies which would not harm South Africa’s economy and instead adopt those which will accelerate job creation.
“Policies that do not help us create more jobs should be reviewed, policies that do not help us to address the issues of poverty should be reviewed and revised,” said Ramaphosa.
He emphasised that South Africa could not reduce inequality and poverty without creating jobs.
“If we are to create jobs, we need an economy that is growing at a faster pace than it has been over the past few years,” said Ramaphosa.
Radical economic transformation was about inclusive growth, he said, and not just the enrichment of “certain families”, a comment that was greeted with loud applause.
Earlier, before the conference could get under way, some branches of the ANC, particularly in the Dullah Omar region (Cape Town metro) expressed unhappiness that they had not been informed about it.
The ANC’s Dullah Omar leadership have been vocal in their support for under-fire President Jacob Zuma and by extension Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
ANC Dullah Omar region spokesperson Khaya Yozi yesterday said the meeting at the Stellenbosch town hall was not a policy conference but a “cadres forum” because there had not been proper accreditation of delegates.
“The PEC had a special meeting this morning and agreed that Cde Cyril (Ramaphosa) must address the cadres forum and all regions will re-register for the policy conference,” said Yozi.
But ANC Western Cape spokesperson Lionel Adendorf insisted that the meeting was a policy conference.
Ramaphosa said that the conference was not about who would lead the ANC but the party’s policy proposals.
He was indirectly referring to singing and chanting by some in the crowd, expressing their support for either himself or Dlamini Zuma to lead the ANC.
Yesterday Dlamini Zuma finally declared herself ready to lead the ANC while addressing the ANC Youth League in Limpopo.
But in Stellenbosch, Ramaphosa was coy, and called on ANC members to applaud themselves for belonging to a “truly democratic organisation”.
“You are following a tried and tested tradition. Whether we have money or no money to hold conferences, this (national policy) conference is a must,” said Ramaphosa.
He called on ANC delegates to discuss, and exchange views on what should guide the party going forward, and should also be used as a platform to renew the organisation.
“All of us know that we’re going through really difficult times as an organisation right now.
‘‘This is the platform that we must use to further unite the ANC, to renew the ANC, to revitalise the ANC, to serve the ANC and to prepare the ANC for the national conference but more importantly to prepare us to win overwhelming victory in 2019,” said Ramaphosa.
The meeting concluded last night without the different discussion groups making any presentations.
Adendorf said branches would gather again later this week, but Yozi was adamant that the meeting had collapsed over credentials of the branch delegates.