ANC KZN UNVEILS ITS KEY POLICY PROPOSALS

The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal, yesterday (18 June 2012), concluded its two-day policy workshop which saw over 500 delegates fine-tuning ANC (KwaZulu-Natal) positions on key policy matters as part of the preparations for the ANC National Policy Conference in Gauteng next week.

It is important to emphasize that the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal will during the conference,  seek to persuade fellow delegates on these positions at all times within our established approach of "influence and prepared to be influenced".  

It is worth mentioning that the past six months have been very interesting in our movement. During this period, our structures were busy robustly discussing policy discussion documents released by the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC).

We are of the view that the Discussion Documents present a correct and objective analysis of the challenges that South Africa faces.  The documents have without doubt stimulated a lot of debate in all ANC structures.

The release of discussion documents coincided with the convening of the regional and provincial conferences. These conferences gave us a platform to debate all the documents in an inclusive way that allowed our branches, regions and Leagues to participate. Our debate process also included Leagues and all other progressive formations.

We are also delighted that various institutions, NGOs, professionals and academia participated in forums convened to solicit their views on policies. As we advance to the National Policy Conference, we are clear, focused and we believe our proposals resemble the broad views of all sectors and people of KwaZulu-Natal. We are ready to take our resolutions to the National Policy conference.

In summary; we are going to advance the following:

On Strategy and Tactics;

That the past 18 years have been characterised by great success in deepening democracy wherein we successfully put in place democratic rules, institutions and instilled the culture of respect of human's rights.

 That we have made great strides on service delivery through provision of basic services to a number of our people but a lot more still needs to be done.

We are of the view that the next phase of our revolution, especially the first decade of the second century of the ANC should be dedicated to the struggle for total attainment of the noble ideas entailed in the Freedom Charter. This phase should be characterised by a decisive and radical focus on socio-economic transformation.

Thus we agreed that this phase should define the second transition of the country. The two decades of freedom have been about democratisation of the country the second transition should focus on economic transformation.

On the drivers of change, we affirm that the working class remains the primary and trusted motive force that should be mobilised and thereafter lead the struggle. However, all sectoral strata should be mobilised to participate in the struggle. Therefore, the ANC must remain the broad church that unites all classes in pursuance of the National Democratic Revolution.  In this regard, the ANC should intensify the mobilisation of the intelligentsia and the growing middle stratum.

These are among crucial strata that possess critical skills and knowledge that would be of great contribution in enhancing the strength of the ANC and the development of the country. Professionals and intelligentsia have played a great role towards liberating our country and stand to benefit in the course of the National Democratic Revolution. 

On Organisational Renewal, we are submitting:

That the ANC NEC must speedily establish the Integrity Committee which will instil values and ensure ethical behaviour of all cadres deployed in all levels of the state and those cadres in the organisation.

We have noted the proposal that the Disciplinary Committees should be composed of people who are not in executive committees. We out rightly reject this proposal as it will undermine the political authority of structures. Members of the National Disciplinary Committee should be drawn from the NEC and this should be the case in all lower structures.

That no member of a structure that has evoked disciplinary actions against any member should be allowed to represent and to stand as a witness for the charged member in the Disciplinary Proceeding.  Where a member of the NEC represents a comrade charged by the same NEC , this has the potential of undermining unity and cohesion of the organisation. This also gives that person undue advantage as that member would have participated in discussion leading to the charging of such a member.

That the PEC should increase from 25 to 30 members and that RECs should increase from 20 to 25 members.

For a person to be elected to any structure of the ANC, that person should have served as an active member  and participating in the programme and political life of the organisation for at least five years. For any member to be elected to the National Executive Committee and the Provincial Executive Committee he or she should have served in the lower structures of the ANC. This will address the tendency of parachuting wherein people get into higher structures with no understanding of traditions of the organisation.

On lobbying for elections in structures of the organisation, we adopted the proposed rules and resolved that songs and paraphernalia promoting or denigrating any member should be banned. In this regard any member who continues singing such songs or using any paraphernalia should face the disciplinary actions.

On economic development, we are submitting

Ours is a mixed economy wherein the state, private sector and labour should play a more meaningful role in the development of the economy of the country.

On state and mineral resources

That classical nationalisation will be both expensive, present massive economic calamity and is unconstitutionality. Nationalisation of all mines will [cost] the state R1 trillion

We agreed on:

• Foster  "Intensified State Intervention in the Minerals Management" through bouquet of critical interventions.
• State intervention must include taxation, royalties, ownership of strategic assets solely or in partnership with the private sector and equity ownership to certain companies.
• On the establishment of State Minerals Company totally owned by the  state as State Owned Company with the following roles: Minerals exploration, Development of strategic minerals, Ownership of mining assets, Promote BEE in minerals ownership
• Facilitate mineral knowledge linkages through appropriate investments into technical HRD and R&D

The state intervention should realise the following:

• Portion of profit transferred to Treasury
• Own assets, equity stakes in private mining 
• Amalgamation of Alexcor, AFMC, Limdev, Developmental approach,
• State owned Mining Company be given preferential treatment on licensing

 On land we submit

That  the current  legislation does  allow government to advance the appropriation of land in a way that is quick, easy and cheaper. The willing seller willing buyer principle is not useful.

That the government should focus on expediting land restitution within the current constitutional framework and should only consider reviewing the constitution once all avenues have been exploited.

We re-affirmed the Polokwane and Stellenbosch Conference resolutions that the Government should ban the selling of prime land to foreigners.

Vigorous and Comprehensive Economic Transformation

We propose that the current legislations create possible mechanism for radical economic transformation but have been hindered by among others:

• Resistance from certain section of the private sector whose interests is continuing to generate maximum interests and economic benefits through the exploitation of poor workers. This includes in industries and those who own land.
• Sectoral interests which undermine the interests of the nation as a whole, including labour which time and again focuses on protecting the interests of workers without taking into cognisance the plight of the unemployed
• Lack of aggressive and coherent approach on the side of government and other role players in radically transforming the economy.

We therefore call for the Government to convene a National Convention on Economic Transformation which should develop binding agreements and programme on the comprehensive economic transformation of the country.

As much as labour brokers are created in terms of the law, their operations seem to be reversing the gains attained by our country, in particular the workers in the new democratic dispensation. The manner in which ;labour brokers operates expose the workers into exploitation and we therefore call on our government to ensure total banishment of labour brokering.

 On single police force

There has been a great concern of agreeing on issues and  a tendency that seems to be showing signs of reneging in the implementation .This has also been realized in the issue of having single police service. A call is  made of setting up a small team  to determine as to what are the factors that are constraining implementation of  the resolution of a single police force, within set time-frames

On Home Affairs

The issue of migrating and immigrating to SA is so flexible to such an extent that  it  leaves the country to become the safe haven for foreign criminals. This situation needs to be dealt with through  the passing of legislative framework  which will make  entering the country to be strictly regulated. In dealing with corruption and crime related to this, we strongly urge that  those who are found to be selling fraudulent Identity Documents should be regarded to have committed an offence similar to treason.

On protection of our national assets

The crime that is related to uncontrollable access to the country creates an environment where even national assets such as the famous Big Five are being looted and poached as it is happening with the killing of the Rhinos . The conference views this as a practice that undermines the security of the country and thus recommend that  since our country is not at war with any country , the SANDF should deploy part of our soldiers to guard our borders but also be used to defend our national assets.

Issued by the ANC KwaZulu-Natal, June 19 2012

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