STATEMENT OF THE ANC NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

On the ANC National Spokesperson:

The NEC has appointed Jackson Mthembu as the ANC National Spokesperson. Through his leadership the ANC communication effort will be intensified as well as the relationship with the media.

On the resignation of comrade Bheki Cele from the NEC:

Following his appointment to being the Commissioner of Police, and in accordance with police regulation, cde Bheki Cele withdrew his participation from the NEC. The NEC accepted and applauded this move.

On the Organization Renewal:

The NEC dedicated much of its time on the President's political overview, which focused largely on the renewal of the ANC and the government.  The NEC reaffirmed the Polokwane resolutions, to restore power back to the ANC branches.  We said Amandla ase Masebeni.

The NEC highlighted some of the issues and took the following decisions:

• A Political education program will soon be outlined, and will be conducted in a manner that is accessible to all our members.
• A proactive ANC involved in mass campaigns on key ANC priorities such as education, health, and rural development.

On the Local Government:

The violence accompanying "service delivery" protests is a source of concern and must be taken seriously. The unprecedented lawlessness that characterizes some of these current protests cannot be allowed to continue.

The ANC will take a broader view in dealing with these struggles, by addressing the historic spatial planning problems and also resolving genuine problems facing communities.

The ANC will convene a Local Government Summit next year in order to address a range of issues raised by the NEC, as part of its preparation for Local Government Elections and the Manifesto. NEC visits to the regions will give the NEC the necessary understanding and insight.

The NEC welcomes the official launch of the BRT.  The BRT should not only be viewed as a means of transport but also as means of integrating townships with nearest cities - thus contributing to nation-building.  BRT also relieves the financial burden from the majority of our people and begins to build bridges that close the gaps created by apartheid spatial planning.

Recent Protest by Members of the SA Defence Force:

The recent public protest by some members of the SANDF made the NEC realize the error of allowing unionization of the military.  The interpretation of the Court Order in this regard, that a forum for engagement and negotiations needs to be created for soldiers, means unionization will be revisited.  The NEC decided that the process of de-unionization should begin, while a formal structure for engagement is being created in the SANDF.  The appointment of the Commission to pay attention and correct the historic neglect under which soldiers work will be part of this complex process

On Alliance Relations:

The NEC agreed that an urgent Alliance Secretariat, followed by an Alliance Summit, need to be convened urgently in order to take forward progress made since the 52nd national Conference of the ANC.  The NEC acknowledged that long time lapses between Alliance Summits create unnecessary misunderstandings and negative perceptions amongst alliance partners.

The NEC further agreed that the ANC delegation attending the COSATU National Congress from 21st to the 24th /09/2009 should provide leadership and contribute to the building of a strong federation.

On the 2012 ANC National Conference:

The NEC has noted the premature public succession debate for the 2012 National Conference.  It was agreed that the debate is a distraction and should, therefore, be discontinued.  All our structures were directed to disengage with this debate and focus on the implementation of the national Conference resolutions and the 2009 manifesto commitments.

On the National Question:

The NEC reaffirmed that the ANC is a non-racial organization.  We are defined to lead our country to a united, non-racial, and non-sexist democratic and prosperous South Africa.  Our ethnic, cultural and religious diversity should unite us further. Part of our political education work will involve educating our members on the principle non-racialism.  This is the essence of the NDR, namely, the liberation of blacks in general and Africans in particular.

On Zimbabwe:

The NEC is satisfied with progress made in the attempts to resolve the Zimbabwe question.  The recent visit by President Zuma has also crystallized and entrenched the South African position in this matter.  We committed ourselves to continue engaging all the parties in Zimbabwe to make the Global Political Agreement work.

On the National Planning:

The NEC welcomes the publication of both the Green paper on the National Planning Commission and the Monitoring and Evaluation, as discussion papers. We invite all South Africans to contribute in shaping these two important policy initiatives.

On the Presidential hotline:

The NEC welcomes the Presidential hotline as a positive development in bringing government closer to the people.  The hotline responds to the ANC call to ensure that government interacts directly with the masses, in order to be responsive to challenges our communities experience on a daily basis.

On Caster Semenya:

The ANC is appalled by the manner in which both the IAAF and the ASA have handled the issue. It is the NEC's view that she has been victimized and subjected to unnecessary public scrutiny, thus denying her dignity. The NEC notes these developments with the seriousness they deserve and further decided to support her, including politically.

Statement issued by ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, September 20 2009

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