ANC STATEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY TRANSGRESSIONS

The African National Congress, appeals to its members and leadership to be cautious on what gets communicated on social media. The ANC has always guided its members to limit their public pronouncements to approved policies as there are internal platforms of discourse for engagement on policy positions that have not been approved. The recent post by the Regional Chairperson of the ANC in Ekurhuleni, Comrade Mzwandile Masina on nationalisation of the economy falls outside the confines of our policy position.

While the views were expressed on a personal account, it stands to confuse our constituency and members as to what the ANC stands for. It is expected of ANC leaders to act with care and be cautious at all times on matters of policy. Leaders of the ANC feed into the narrative of policy uncertainty when they publicly canvas positions outside the formal structures. We therefore encourage members of the ANC to exercise their freedom of speech within the confines of ANC structures.

Our 54th conference held in NASREC in 2017 resolved that South Africa must act urgently to reignite economic growth. Active steps to achieve accelerated economic growth include:

* Uniting government. labour, business and communities in an investment pact;

* Isolating and rooting out corrupt elements in the public and private sectors;

* Stabilising the governance and finances of State Owned Companies (SOC) and ensuring that SOC's play a developmental role;

*Ensuring a measured and balanced path of macroeconomic management;

*Working to avoid further downgrades to South Africa's credit rating and regain an investment grade;

*Regulating uncompetitive structures and conduct in the economy;

*Reviewing and recalibrating the NDP regularly in order to ensure improved implementation

The ANC strongly believe that this remains the best roadmap to economic emancipation, necessary to bring down the high levels of inequality, poverty and unemployment. We are confident that the current team that has been deployed in government, under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, will implement our policies as mandated by the national conference. This team will provide the mid-term review report at the National General Council and the membership will be afforded an opportunity to make inputs at that level.

Statement issued by the ANC, 1 June 2020