ANC STATEMENT ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE NATIONAL WORKING COMMITTEE HELD ON MONDAY, 16 MAY 2022

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the African National Congress (ANC) met on Monday. 16 May 2022 to conduct the current work of the ANC and carry out decisions and instructions of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Letsema Campaign

The NWC welcomed the on-going Letsema Campaign, re-launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa, on 23 April 2022 in Mangaung.

On 21 May 2022, the Letsema Campaign will commence in KwaZulu-Natal. focusing on the victims of floods by participating in and reinforcing the relief and reconstruction efforts led by government and civil society.

The Letsema Campaign will be led by ANC National Officials, ANC leaders and volunteers who will be active in relief efforts and the rebuilding of communities by distributing donations collected by ANC structures throughout the country. Efforts will also be focussed the provision basic necessities, food. temporary shelters. as well as the rebuilding of roads.

Further details of the programme will be announced at a media briefing on Thursday. 19 May 2022.

The Letsema campaign is a call to action for all ANC members and citizens, to work with their local, provincial and national government to build better communities. The programme encourages communities and government to work together. forming local compacts to reconstruct the economic and social fabric of our society.

The Letsema Campaign aims to:

Build a Letsema movement for clean. resilient and safe communities. across the country;

Identify and organise regular community activities around issues that contribute to community resilience and safety:

Build a broad front of various stakeholders in communities. towns, rural areas and cities who in their different sectors and working together contribute to the Letsema objectives:

Raise awareness in communities and educate campaign organisers. volunteers, members and all stakeholders on the importance of community development. resilience and social cohesion: and.

Ensure dynamic interaction between government structures and communities around effective basic services and local economic development.

Preparations for ANC National Policy Conference

The NWC received a report on preparations for the ANC National Policy Conference scheduled to take place from 28 — 31 July 2022.

National Policy Conference is an important step in preparing for the ANC 55th National Conference, which will be held from 16 - 20 December 2022 at NASREC in Johannesburg.

National Policy Conference must be convened at least six months before the National Conference to review policies of the ANC and to recommend any new or to amend any present policy for consideration by the National Conference.

The NWC, as mandated by the NEC, finalised and authorised the distribution of the following discussion documents: Balance of Forces and Strategy and Tactics; Organisational Renewal; Social Transformation; Economic Transformation; Peace and Stability; Education, Health, Science, Innovation and Technology; Archives, Heritage and Culture; Communications and the Battle of Ideas; Legislature and Governance; and International Relations.

The discussion documents will be published in a special edition of the ANC journal, Umrabulo, to facilitate discussion amongst ANC structures, the Alliance, sectoral and civil society organisations as well as the public and media.

The process leading up to the National Policy Conference will constitute a festival of ideas characterized by broad, inclusive and intensive participation in evaluating the implementation of policies adopted by previous National Conferences and proposing amendments to these policies, as well as the formulation of new policies.

From May to early July 2022, over 250 workshops will be conducted across the country with all ANC branch executive committees for induction and training in the facilitation of discussion of Policy Conference documents. This training will enable BECs to conduct study groups and workshops with ANC members to discuss these vital issues facing the country and communities.

The ANC calls upon all individuals, organisations and institutions to make inputs and enrich these discussions papers.

The NWC also agreed to the establishment of a Policy Conference Gender Reference Group to review all discussion documents and ensure that our vision of a non-sexist South Africa, and a gendered perspective is incorporated in these documents.

The special edition of Umrabulo will be released at a media briefing on Friday, 20 May 2022 at 09h00 at the ANC Media Centre at Chief Albert Luthuli House.

Following the release of the discussion documents, media briefings by NEC Sub-committees and discussion document drafters will be held from Wednesday, 25 May 2022.

Municipal By-elections

The NWC received a report on the outcome of recent by-elections. The NWC commended the efforts of ANC structures and volunteers and expressed its thanks to voters who have renewed the ANC's mandate in the overwhelming majority of by-elections.

The NWC also noted with concern the loss of wards previous held by the ANC, due to internal organisational challenges and failure to adhere to rules and procedures for the selection of candidates, in particular the requirement to hold community meetings to ensure community input and approval for ANC candidates. The NWC urged all structures to adhere to the rules and procedures adopted by the NEC and stressed the need for consequences for failure to do so.

Regional & Provincial Conferences

The NWC received a report on ongoing work to ensure the holding of Branch Biennial General Meetings (BBGM5) as well as regional and provincial conferences.

The NWC noted that 27 regions out of 52 regions have convened their regional conferences. Furthermore, 3 out of 9 provinces have held provincial conferences.

The Limpopo Provincial Conference is scheduled for 3 — 5 June 2022 and KwaZulu-Natal will hold its provincial conference on 15 — 17 July 2022.

The NWC noted progress made by the Free State, North West and the Western Cape in preparing for their provincial conferences and urged the Interim Provincial Committees of these provinces to ensure that conferences are held without delay.

Status of Interim Structures

The NWC reaffirmed the decision by the Special NEC on 24 — 25 March 2022 that, in terms of the ANC Constitution, interim structures fulfil the functions of the BEC, REC or PEC, as the case may be, and accordingly, that members of such interim structures have the right to attend ex-officio as full participants in and as delegates to regional or provincial conferences.

The NEC mandated the Secretary General's Office to develop uniform guidelines regarding the size, composition and terms of reference of interim structures.

ANC Membership System

The NWC welcomed a report on the ongoing work to implement an online, fully automated ANC Membership system in line with the resolutions of the 54th National Conference as an important aspect of organisation renewal.

The membership system seeks to combat gatekeeping and membership manipulation and allow members to control their own membership. Following the successful implementation of the first phase of the new system, lessons learned are being used to improve the system and address challenges identified.

The NWC also noted and welcomed the institution of disciplinary action against staff members implicated in allegations of membership manipulation in the Dr WB Rubusana and Chris Hani Regions of the Eastern Cape.

Implementation of Step Aside Resolution

The NWC received a report on the implementation of the decision of the Special NEC meeting on 24 — 25 April 2022 that any member who has stepped aside voluntarily, or who has been suspended, following an indictment to appear in a court of law on any charge should not be allowed to stand for a position on a BEC, REC, PEC or NEC.

The NWC noted and welcomed that fact that the decision has been adhered to in regional and provincial conferences following the Special NEC.

The NWC requested the National Officials, as mandated, by the NEC, to consider and make proposals regarding any further amendments to the step-aside guidelines and procedures, including with regard to handling of any matters that arose before the decision of the Special NEC.

Special NEC Retreat on Unity, Renewal and Rebuilding

The NWC received a report on preparations for a Special NEC Retreat on Unity, Renewal and Rebuilding of the ANC, now scheduled to take place on 11 — 13 June 2022.

MK Veterans All-Inclusive Conference

The NWC welcomed the formation of the MK Liberation War Veterans at the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Veterans All-inclusive Conference on 27 April — 1 May 2022 in East London.

The conference adopted important resolutions on ANC renewal, socio-economic development of MK veterans, heritage and legacy, as well as legislative review.

This important development gives effect to the resolution of the 54th National Conference mandating the NEC to facilitate unity and inclusion of all MK ex-combatants.