Johannesburg - The ANC on Saturday pledged to deliver on its promise to create more jobs in an economy that has been characterised by limited growth.
Factors such as job creation, health, education and securing investment in the economy for inclusive growth as well as advancing social transformation were some the key points of the ANC’s election manifesto delivered at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
The party’s 2019 election manifesto, titled “Let’s Grow South Africa Together”, spoke massively on the party’s intention to create more jobs.
According to the election manifesto, the party said it would create 275 000 jobs each year by boosting local demand for goods. It also said the party would invest more in the mining, manufacturing and agricultural sectors.
“We will ensure that we not only create new jobs but work hard to protect existing jobs. In line with the presidential jobs summit outcomes, we will take active steps to ensure that retrenchments are the last consideration taken by employers and that retrenchment procedures are reviewed,” read the document.
The party said it would set bold but achievable targets for youth internships, including prescribing a minimum percentage in the public sector while securing concrete commitments from the private sector.
On investment in the economy, the party said it would work tirelessly to increase the levels of investments by R1.2 trillion over the next four years as part of the plan to grow the economy and create jobs.
“We are within reach of our target. These investments will help diversify the economy in sectors like mining, forestry, manufacturing, telecommunications, transport, energy, water, agro-processing, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and financial services.”
The party further explained that it would push for workers to own stakes in companies that they work for and share the profits.
This would be done through the introduction of legislation for the extension of company ownership to a broad base of workers through an employee ownership scheme and similar arrangements to supplement workers’ incomes and build greater partnerships between workers and owners to build these businesses.
“We will create space for new emerging companies by ending monopolies and behaviour that stifles competition. We will also allocate at least 30% of government’s procurement spend to small businesses and co-operatives. We will also work with the financial sector to increase industrial and enterprise financing for small businesses, black industrialists and co-operatives,” said the party.
Addressing the land question, the ANC said it would continue to support the amendment of section 25 of the Constitution to clearly define the conditions under which expropriation of land without compensation can take place.
“We will submit the revised expropriation bill to Parliament to provide explicit circumstances under which land expropriation in the public interest may happen without compensation. The bill will ensure that laws regulating expropriation will include the principle of expropriation without compensation through just and equitable provisions set out in the Constitution,” explained the party.
The ANC said it would also work towards advancing social transformation by giving priority to education and skills development.
The party added that it would ensure that sustainable human settlements help to transform the spatial legacy of apartheid and to build a more inclusive society.
“We will continue to maintain and expand our social security system to protect the vulnerable and reduce poverty,” said the party.
Addressing issues of health, the party said its goal of achieving universal health coverage and overcoming the country’s two-tier health system through the National Health Insurance programme remained a central priority.
“The NHI will be publicly funded and administered to guarantee quality health care to all South Africans and will be free at the point of use. All South Africans should be covered by the NHI by 2025. The tabling of the NHI Bill in Parliament will be a crucial milestone for rolling out funding for universal access and implementing key elements of the NHI,” the party said.