Economic crisis ‘priority on ANC policy agenda’
The ANC will have to deal with crises on two fronts at its policy conference starting on Friday: the economy and its own dire organisational state. While policies decided on at the conference would become policy only after approval by the national elective conference in December, some issues such as the economy, had to be dealt with immediately after this week’s meeting, ANC secretarygeneral Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday.
The ANC has to deal with crises on two fronts at its policy conference starting on Friday: the economy and the movement’s dire organisational state.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday that while policies decided on at the conference would become policy only after approval by the national elective conference in December, some issues, such as the economy, had to be dealt with immediately after this week’s meeting.
Economic policy is set to take centre stage and reveal whether the ANC slips into a more populist policy framework to reverse its electoral decline and take on the posture of its hitherto dominant faction.
At the same time, party veterans on Thursday described attempts at renewing the organisation as a “futile exercise” and announced that they would boycott the policy meeting.
Mantashe said the gathering would take place against the backdrop of downgrades of SA’s credit by three ratings agencies, the latest unemployment numbers and a technical recession after two successive quarters of negative growth in the economy.
“The economic crisis can't wait for December,” Mantashe told reporters at Nasrec.
The outcome of the 2016 polls — in which the party lost three metros and a handful of smaller municipalities, bringing its national support down to 53.9% — was “still looming large” in the ANC’s analysis.
The most contentious issues dividing the party are set to be discussed, including state capture. Stalwarts and veterans of the movement made it clear at a media briefing in Johannesburg that they would not be attending the first two days of the policy conference, saying ANC leaders were in denial.
The veterans had wanted a separate consultative conference without party branches, which they deemed largely illegitimate, but ANC leadership did not agree to this; hence the stayaway of the veterans.
ANC veteran Murphy Morobe said: “It feels like the leadership is very much akin to an ostrich sticking its head deep in the sand and hoping that the problem will resolve itself.
“The ANC is rapidly losing the legitimacy and trust of our people. The longer the crisis in our movement and country is not confronted, the deeper the crisis will become,” said Morobe.
Mantashe said the ANC would not be dictated to by groups that were not part of party structures, but would continue engaging with party elders.
He also cautioned against populism through grappling over a position of “adventurism” versus “conservatism where we fear change”.
The party was urged not to view conference proceedings “through the lens” of leadership elections at the end of the year.
The battle between Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to manifest itself through policy discussions. Policy positions are proxy battles between the various factional camps.
At the same time, some leaders are pushing hard to unite the party. Delegates will be allowed to sing struggle songs, but only about former leaders. Songs denigrating President Jacob Zuma will be blocked.
Mantashe said that by next Thursday, the party would have a “united common vision of the country’s trajectory”.
MK council convener Thabang Makwetla said there was evidence that Mantashe’s office never supported the idea of a consultative conference.
“In the wake of the local elections in 2016, the NEC [national executive committee] opined that it would not act hastily, but will seek to listen to the broad membership of the ANC first.
“There can be no better exercise of listening to the broad membership than by convening a special conference, to consult the broad membership.”
SOME ISSUES HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MEETING, SUCH AS THE ECONOMY