AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY
Closing remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the ANC NEC Lekgotla
19 - 20 January 2020
St George's Hotel
Irene
National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe,
Officials of the ANC,
Members of the NEC,
Leadership of the SACP and COSATU,
Leadership of the ANCWL, ANCYL and ANCVL,
Leadership of MKMVA, MKNC, COSAS and SASCO,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Metro Mayors and leaders of SALGA,
Leadership of CONTRALESA
Deployed Cadres,
Comrades and Friends
We have just received the sad news that one of our comrades in the Eastern Cape Cde Bicks Ndoni collapsed a few minutes ago and passed away in the ANC office in Nelson Mandela bay.
He was the ANC Chief Whip in the Nelson Bay Metro Council.
We have come to the end of our January Lekgotla.
We have had leaders from various structures of our movement present here
Officials of the ANC,
Members of the NEC,
Leadership of the SACP and COSATU,
Leadership of the ANCWL, ANCYL and ANCVL,
Leadership of MKMVA, COSAS and SASCO, ANC WL Young Wome's Desk and YCL Young
Women's
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Metro Mayors and leaders of SALGA,
CONTRALESA
Deployed Cadres in Govt
Our meeting takes place at a pivotal moment for our country, when our economy is facing severe challenges and many of our people continue to endure great hardship.
Prior to this Lekgotla we held an ANC NEC meeting. The NEC meeting was extremely constructive. The NEC was united around the most important issues that concern the nation; i.e. the economy, SOEs, building a capable state and strengthening local government.
In the same vein, our Lekgotla was robust, constructive and yielded extremely productive proposals. The Lekgotla benefited from the wealth of knowledge and experience present here.
Through our deliberations here we have forged a clear and concrete programme to address the challenges our nation faces.
We have been frank about the extent of the difficulties in our country.
We acknowledged where we have fallen short in the implementation of our policies and have devised realistic measures to address these.
Listening to the reports from the Commissions, it is clear that comrades worked hard to formulate proposals to be taken forward in the plans of government and the movement.
There is a clear commitment by all parties to work hard, address the challenges collectively and communicate our policies and programmes clearly and coherently.
All commissions presented proposals on cross-cutting issues such as the empowerment of women, young people, addressing issues of climate change and the just transition and the socio-economic impact of migration.
We all agreed that will speak with one voice.
We also agreed that we will act with discipline.
We discussed how we should foster Economic growth and deal with State-Owned Enterprises
We agreed that the creation of jobs and the re-ignition of inclusive growth in the following key areas should be undertaken:
We all agreed that Manufacturing continues to be a major sector of South Africa's economy.
The government should continue to support and boost the manufacturing sector as it seeks to transform the structure of manufacturing.
The Lekgotla agreed that we should Build new growth sectors such as renewable energy, creative industries, aviation industries and 41R related activities.
Tax avoidance and illicit capital flows were seen as an impediment to economic growth. The Lekgotla called on the Government to urgently crack down on tax avoidance and illicit capital outflows.
BEE processes must be strengthened to assist in transforming racial ownership patterns in the economy.
The Lekgotla agreed that A renewed emphasis must be placed on localisation, particularly linked to infrastructure projects and to procurement by government and SOCs. The Lekgotla took a dim view of the threatening activities of people who describe themselves as business groups that go to infrastructure projects demanding 30% stakes. These groups often act illegally and threaten violence. This cannot be allowed to continue. We will take strong measures to stop this.
We agreed that we should Strengthen government and SOCs procurement. We should in the process leverage private sector procurement to support local enterprises, township and village enterprises, black industrialists.
On the Mineral Resources area the Lekgotla agreed that The unbundling of the Mineral Petroleum Resources Development Bill will provide policy certainty to mature solid mining industry and has assisted with the development of stand-alone legislation for the Upstream Petroleum Sector which Bill was Gazetted for public comment December 2019.
The issue of the spectrum we should ensure that the spectrum release should lead to lower data costs to realise the extension of access to online service and put more money in consumer pockets.
The easing of visa requirements and related changes to encourage tourism and the inflow of needed skills into South Africa should be accelerated.
The initiative aimed at reducing youth unemployment through the Presidential Youth Employment intervention is fully supported. The Lekgotla welcomed the five pillars this intervention is based on namely: the building of a national programme for young work seekers, agile work solutions, youth self-employment, workplace experience and expanded national youth service.
It was agreed as follows with regard to the SOEs
The ANC will continue to be guided by the vision outlined in our Ready to Govern policy document, which stated that the balance of the evidence will guide our structuring and restructuring of state owned companies and our decisions on when we need to increase or reducing public ownership in order to advance our economic progamme.
The Lekgotla endorsed the following proposals with regard to SOEs.
That the commercial and developmental mandates of SOEs and SOCs should be clearly outlined and stated. Where a review is necessary we should be able to so.
We should examine the institutional design which will support their developmental mandates.
There should be greater and more effective attention on the operational efficiency, integrity of SOEs as well as ensuring that people who are fit for purpose are appointed to various positions.
We should embark on a Consolidation and rationalisation process of our SOEs
In line with the 54th Conference Nasrec Resolutions avoid political interference in operational matters. Other than an intervention in the case of mismanagement and possible company failure.
ON LAND REFORM
The ANC needs to do more to popularise our position on the amendment of section 25 of the Constitution to clarify circumstances in which expropriation without compensation will take place.
We are encouraged that the Lekgotla endorsed the recommendation that the power to determine the quantum of compensation for land expropriation should reside in the executive.
The Lekgotla endorsed several programmatic priorities for the forthcoming year, which will ensure that land reform contributes to economic recovery. Some of these programmes include:
• Addressing spatial inequalities through the prioritisation of urban land for development of low-income housing
• Advancement of women in land reform — women must be considered especially in communal areas and ownership of land. Women must be at the centre of the land debate;
• Trade agreements with other countries should prioritise black emerging farmers;
• Blended funding must be made available in order to assist black farmers.
The Lekgotla agreed on a number of measures to ensure communities are safe and build social cohesion. Some of these priorities include:
• Review and strengthen the moral regeneration programme;
• Government to strengthen its programmes to combat sexual harassment at the workplace;
• Strengthening of border management by ensuring that of the Border Management Bill is concluded and comes into effect.
It is important that the review and updating of the National Crime Prevention is concluded speedily. We must emphasise that the comprehensive strategy must go beyond providing only effective policing. It must also provide for mobilisation and participation of civil society in assisting to address crime.
Within the context of South Africa's sustained programme to eradicate gender-based violence, we must have regard to various international instruments such as the ILO Convention 190 on Eliminating Violence and Harassment at the workplace.
STRENGTHENING OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT MODEL
We are all aware of the importance of ensuring that local government becomes more effective and serve the people better.
The District Development Model provides an opportunity for government to serve the people better through coordinating district-based plans and budgets.
At the same time, the ANC will become more stringent in the selection processes for all public representatives, including setting qualification criteria for cadres to be put on ANC lists.
The ANC commits to consistent monitoring of performance of all our public representatives and we will apply urgent remedial steps and consequence management for poor performance, ill-discipline and mismanagement.
South Africa takes over the chairpersonship of the AU at a crucial time for both the institution and the continent, characterized by positive dynamism, opportunities, and complex challenges facing the continent. In pursuance of South Africa chairing the African Union, we will work with progressive political parties on the continent to silence the guns.
We are committed to Africa's economic development and social and political integration of the continent in the regard We will work to ensure that the Africa Free Trade Continental Agreement is implemented.
The Lekgotla appreciated the continued relations that South Africa has in a number of multilateral organisation including BRICS with China. The Lekgotla also reiterated our policy position on a One China policy.
The empowerment Of women should be treated With great priority.
The ANC reiterates our support for the oppressed people of Palestine, support the Saharawi in their quest for self-determination and confirm the resolution of the 54th Conference on support for the Kurdish people.
Amandla!
Issued by the ANC, 20 January 2020
