POLICY AND POLITICAL PROCESSES TOWARDS 51ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE, Parktown, 13 August 2002

Statement by Cde Jeff Radebe at the breakfast briefing

The African National Congress will be holding its 51st National Conference, from 16-20 December

2002, at Stellenbosch University under the theme PEOPLES POWER IN ACTION. PHAMBILI MAVOLUNTIYA.

AFRIKA KE NAKO. Conference will take place in the year that the ANC celebrates its 90th

anniversary - making it one of the oldest political movements in the country, and on the

African continent.

A key feature of the ANC over the 90 years has been the stability of its policy positions. This

derives from an unswerving commitment to the vision of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-

sexist and prosperous South Africa. Whatever the detail in the policy, the orientation has

remained the same -the creation of this kind of South Africa. The ANC thus at all times avoided

opportunism and populism, whatever the circumstances. It resisted all attempts to deny it its

right to make its own decisions and has kept to its fundamental tenets.

At the heart of our policies is the commitment to achieve people-centred development and build

a caring society. The policies adopted by the 1997 and 2000 conferences are focused on the

achievement of these goals. To this end, they aim at the eradication of the legacy of

colonialism, racism and gender oppression. Our policies are directed at ensuring that we end

the poverty and underdevelopment of the majority of our people. Obviously, this covers many

areas of human activity, social and economic.

Our existing policies are also aimed at building a society that enables all our citizens to

develop themselves to the full and to exercise their right to human dignity. This entails not

only freedom from want, but the critical right of the citizen to safety and security. It

includes access to knowledge, to banish ignorance, and freedom to enjoy one's culture, language

and develop one's identity.

Through the decades, the ANC sustained the vision of African unity, convinced that the peoples

of our continent share a common destiny and that they need to combine their efforts and

resources to achieve Africa's renaissance. We have been committed to the view that Africa must

play her rightful role in global affairs, no longer marginalized and despised.

The NEC when it discussed the political and policy discussion papers for 51st National

Conference, which we are launching in this Special UMRABULO today, reviewed progress since the

50th Conference in 1997. It concluded that the essential pillars of our policy as decided by

the 1997 and 2000 conferences remain valid and correct. It also agreed that there may be a few

areas that might require some new policy initiatives. The NEC also took the view that we must

continue with our preparations to hold a Policy Conference from 27 - 30 September 2002 before

the National Conference. Through our branches, the membership has therefore been asked to make

its own determination concerning these important matters relating to policy. Delegates

representing the views of this membership will therefore gather at the Policy Conference to

effect such changes as may be thought necessary.

The discussion papers in the Special UMRABULO assess the overall progress we have made as a

society since 2002. This is captured in the discussion documents on Strategy and

Tactics and the Balance of forces. These two papers calls for discussion on the new

developments - eight years after liberation - which will impact on the Strategy and Tactics of

the ANC over the next period. Amongst the new developments that are raised for discussions are:

• The impact of the international balance of forces on South Africa and Africa: It noted that
• since 1997, we had the crisis in Asia and South America, the emergence of the anti-
• globalisation movement, greater acceptance for Africa's agenda, which has resulted in new
• discourses on the policy options opened to the developing world, the impact of globalisation
• and prescriptions of the IMF and World Bank in the context of a more just world order.
• Nationally, we must address such issues as changing apartheid property relations through the
• mobilization of public and social capital and tactical alliance between the liberation movement
• and patriotic capital. In addition, managing differences in the tripartite alliance on various
• tactical and policy issues must also be addressed.
• Issues for discussions with regards our programme for the next five years include such
• matters as the integrated functioning of government; an approach to spatial development that
• will fundamentally change the apartheid geography of our towns, cities and rural areas; the
• issue of a social accord first raised by the NEC Lekgotla in January 2002 and re-affirmed by
• the Alliance at the Ekurhuleni Summit earlier this year, in the context of a growth and
• development strategy and the integration of gender to further the cause of women's
• emancipation.

The papers acknowledge that the main challenge faced by the ANC is that of "continuity and

change - continuity in the substance of policy, and change in the detail as well as style, pace

and effectiveness of implementation."

The Policy papers gives information on progress, challenges and raise the

issues for debate, and will also be discussed in the 3000 odd ward-based branches. Branches

will prepare Draft resolutions on these, which will then be part of the deliberations at

Provincial Policy Workshops from 14-15 and 21-22 September 2002. Without pre-empting the

discussions in these structures, the policy papers raise the following key issues:-

> Social Transformation: This area deals with the challenge of poverty, which

we said in the RDP is 'the single greatest burden of South Africa's people'. Deriving from the

RDP, government strategy to address poverty rests on the following pillars: re-orientation of

the Budget, fiscal policy and the public sector; Meeting the basic needs of the disadvantaged

and poor (houses, electricity, water, education); programmes to boost the incomes of the poor

(job creation through the NPWP, poverty alleviation programmes, support to the SMME sector,

social grants, and so forth); and programmes aimed at targeted groups such as women, disabled,

children and the youth.

The overview of progress focus on the areas of comprehensive health care - dealing with

infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, TB, cholera, Maternal and child health, Integrated

food security, water and sanitation and so forth. It raises concerns about the quality of care

and human resource development in the public health sector.

The paper also raises for discussion recommendations of the Task team on the Comprehensive

Social security - on extending the Child Grant, the national health insurance, the basic

income grant and so forth for discussions by structures. It noted the need for greater social

mobilization of all sectors to ensure that the groups already targeted (children under 6 years,

disabled, the elderly) are able to access these grants.

It is noted that the biggest challenge in attacking poverty has been in the areas of employment

creation, SMME development and access of the poor to micro finance and credit. Our social and

economic programmes have as yet to result in significant positive gains in employment.

The Integrated rural development programme, targeting the 17 poorest rural districts

in the country forms a critical part of our programmes to push back the frontiers of poverty,

with anchor projects in each of these being implemented. However, it needs much greater

coordination, and the building of the capacity of local government in these areas.

On Land reform, progress in land restitution was noted, especially over the last three

years. Other programmes to deal with land reform include the acquisition of land for farm

workers and labour tenants, land to municipalities for the establishment of commonages which

can be used by the poor for subsistence farming and Land reform for agricultural development

programme (LRAD). This is supported by the Land bank which provide access to credit for

emerging farmers and agricultural support services by the department.

The section on Human resource development note the progress we have made in deracialising

education and introducing compulsory education from 7 - 16 years. However, the main issue that

is raised for discussion is how do we ensure that we improve the quality of education for

disadvantaged and poor learners and communities. The paper presents a number of options.

Nation building is central to the challenge of a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic

South Africa. In the area of heritage and nation-building, we thus look at the role played by

such initiatives as our new national symbols, heritage projects, the development and equality

of all official languages, arts and culture and sport in nation building and development.

>Economic transformation: This paper reminds us about the crisis faced by the

economy we inherited in 1994, and work since then to restructure the economy to meet the needs

of all South African people. It notes that whilst growth (average of 2% p.a.) and investment

(15-17%) have improved since then, it is still too slow to make a decisive impact on living

standards. It noted the phenomenal growth in exports, diversification of manufacturing, the cut

in taxes and the decline in the budget deficit. We achieved macro economic stability through

GEAR. And, although government spending declined in the late 1990's in real terms, from 2001 we

have seen substantial increase in spending on infrastructure, the social services and defence.

This is possible in the context of lower government debt payments, lower interest rates and

reduced public debt.

Labour relations have improved and the number of strikes are well below levels of the early

90's. The labour force is also getting better educated, with 72% of people aged 15-35 having

some secondary school, compared with 51% of those over 35 years.

The level of unemployment has not dropped; although the economy is creating new jobs, it is not

in large enough numbers to absorb the new entrants to the labour market. The new jobs created

are either high skilled or in the informal sector, and there is a structural unemployment

problem in the labour market.

In addition to these overall indicators, the paper reviews specific policy instruments such as

the Micro economic reforms, the notion of shared growth, the role of institutions such as

NEDLAC; the role of the state in the economy and cross cutting issues such as fiscal and

monetary policy, black economic empowerment, restructuring of state owned enterprises, rural

development and science and technology. It reviews specific sectors of the economy, in

particular agriculture, energy, housing, land, marine fisheries, minerals, transport and

tourism.

Amongst the specific issues it raises for debate are: the development of an employment

strategy; investment and infrastructure; black economic empowerment, financial sector

restructuring, and accelerating growth and development.

>Transforming the state and governance: The institutions we inherited in 1994 were

based on the values of colonialism, racism and sexism. This meant that white males exercised

political, economic and social power, white women social power, and black men and women had no

power and were fit to serve.

This is the state that we sought to change, and eight years later, we have made progress in

changing its composition and orientation to be representative of and serve all South Africa's

people. However, we are still faced with challenges such as making the public service

responsive to people's needs, making integrated and cooperative governance a reality; rooting

out corruption, simplifying the operations and procedures of government and strengthening the

capacity of local government.

With regards parliament and the legislatures, we raise such issues as the size of legislatures,

the role of the institution of traditional leadership and how we can improve representative and

participative governance.

> Infrastructure development: A government review of the infrastructure needs

conducted after 1994 indicated that we have a backlog of R170 billion - across all areas of

activity. Since 1994, the public sector has accounted for about 30% of gross capital formation

in South Africa. Thus, since 1994 2.8 million phones have been installed, over 1.4 million

housing subsidies have been allocated and over 1.3 million houses built, and over 3 million

homes electrified. Since 1994, we have also spent mover R18 billion on roads, and since 1997/98

we have also spent over R1.6 billion on rail infrastructure. The Consolidated Municipal

Infrastructure Programme has allocated R3.4 billion for sanitation, water and storm water

projects. Also, the infrastructure budgets for health and education increased dramatically

since 1998/99 as well.

Major challenges include continuing to make progress in reducing the backlog of social and

economic infrastructure through better coordination of government investment and

implementation, and mobilizing private sector investment as well. In this regard, measurers

such as the Community Reinvestment Fund proposed by Housing are important.

In addition, we also need to improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure and address the

capacity of the poor to pay for services. The introduction of a basic basket of free services

(water, electricity) is one way of addressing this, but needs to be seen in the broader context

of improving incomes of the poor.

> Peace and Stability: The creation of a better life for all must also mean

the safety and security of all our citizens. We have made progress with the implementation of

the national crime prevention strategy, to stablise crimes in the 128 police stations

accounting for 50% of all crimes in the country. This programme will now be extended to a

further 195 station areas. We are also making progress with transforming the judiciary and

prosecutions to more effectively deal with prosecutions, including special measurers to address

the case backlogs. The Correctional services face many challenges, in particular the need to

root out corruption in the system, which the Jali commission is addressing and a focus on

rehabilitation.

The Child Justice Bill will be tabled at parliament this year, which will comprehensively

reform the youth and child justice system, focusing on diversion of children and juveniles from

the criminal justice system. Violence against women and children and rape have been identified

as amongst the priority crimes.

Eight years later, we have integrated the SADF, TBVC and MK and APLA, but a number of

challenges such as racism and sexism in the SANDF, affirmative action, transformation of the

reserve forces, rationalization of the army into a professional force and the culture of the

defence force must be addressed. The SANDF is also playing a role in peacekeeping in the

region, in a number of countries such as the DRC, Burundi, Ethiopia/Eritrea and so forth.

> Targeted groups: This paper looks at the impact of our policies on sectors

in our society such as women, children, youth, disabled and the elderly.

> Challenges facing the African continent: The 50th Conference in 1997

outlined our vision of the African renaissance. This paper takes this discussion forward,

focusing on how Africa got to the point where we are now - in particular after the

decolonialisation process, the initiatives over the years to address its marginalisation and

the launch of the African Union and Nepad.

> Media in a democratic South Africa: Focus on different form of

communication, the role of mass communication in the information society, the nature of South

African media (public, private and community media) and what are the challenges facing media in

a democracy.

Conclusion

These discussion papers provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges of transformation we

face as a country. Over the next few months in the lead-up to conference hundreds of thousands

of ANC and Alliance members will be debating and deliberating on all these issues, using their

local and sectoral experience to assess the impact of our policies and make recommendations

about speeding up change.

We believe this is a process that should not only involve ANC structures, but call on broader

society and different sectors to engage with us on these issues. We must all reflect on these

challenges, bearing in mind that the principle task we face is to make more decisive progress

to create a better life and a more caring society, as we approach 10 years of freedom and

beyond!

Issued by the ANC Policy Committee

Luthuli House

54 Sauer Street

For more information: S. Ngonyama on 082 569 2061