BRIEFING CONFERENCE - ANC
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FEBRUARY 2003
CONFERENCE
BRIEFING
BRIEFING NOTES ON THE ANC 51ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE, DECEMBER 2002
!! KEY OUTCOMES OF NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Central challenge remains the
eradication of poverty and inequality
he 51st National Conference, held from This 51st National Conference has affirmed that ANC
T16-20 December 2002 in Stellenbosch, saw the policy should be dynamic and subject to ongoing
assessment, with the objective of advancing the
ANC emerge focused on the tasks facing the movement
to make sure that by the centenary celebrations of the people’s cause, consistent with the strategic objectives
ANC in 2012, we will have made measurable progress that the movement has set itself over the decades. We
in building a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and have adopted resolutions dealing with all areas of
prosperous South Africa. The 51st National Conference transformation and with building the ANC, in keeping
completed the process of rebuilding the ANC as a with the Strategy and Tactics of the movement. Our
united, mass legal movement, after 30 years of Conference has confirmed the thrust of current policies.
illegality, with the capacity to respond to the immense What is critically important is more effective and more
challenges it faces. determined implementation of these policies.
Conference was composed of delegates, representing As a disciplined force of the left, the ANC’s policies
an unbroken thread of ninety years of struggle, elected are rooted in the needs and aspirations of the
by the membership of the movement in general overwhelming majority of South Africans, many of
meetings, who were disciplined and mindful of the whom are poor. Their interests are at the heart of the
responsibility resting on their shoulders to chart the way ANC’s agenda.
forward for the movement as a whole. The preparatory To this end Conference reaffirmed the perspective
processes leading up to Stellenbosch – the branch and that the central challenge remains the eradication of
regional meetings, provincial and sectoral policy poverty and inequality through economic growth and
workshops and the National Policy Conference – all development, job creation and social equity. The legacy
contributed towards ensuring that the movement review of the past still imposes a heavy burden on South
progress since Mafikeng in 1997, and attend to the African society, especially on the poor, on women,
challenges and tasks facing us to speed up change. youth, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
These preparations were, in themselves, also a We are also confronted with many new challenges,
process of building the ANC, affirming the central role including the HIV/AIDS epidemic. More than ever, the
of branches and the right of ANC members to ANC must intensify the mobilisation of the whole of
determine policies. In all of these respects the 51st South African society behind a programme of
National Conference was indeed within the traditions of fundamental change.
a Congress of the People.
1Consistent with our strategic goals, this 51st National 11. The accountability of the public sector institutions
Conference has reaffirmed the ANC’s position on the and personnel and the accountability to the
necessity of the revolutionary alliance with the SACP, movement of our cadres deployed in these
the party of the working class, and with COSATU, the institutions.
progressive trade union movement, as well as the civic 12. The development of a broad front for
movement, SANCO. Particular attention was paid to reconstruction and development and the
developing appropriate mechanisms to ensure that we consolidation of our relations with civil society
strengthen the alliance and work tirelessly to deal, in a organisations. The strengthening of the Alliance,
constructive and comradely manner, with any problems including SANCO and the proper exercise of ANC
that may arise from time to time. We are intensely leadership of the national democratic revolution.
aware that alliance partners can learn from each other. 13. Responding to the challenges of development,
Each has a unique contribution to make in the unfolding peace and stability on our continent.
revolutionary process in our country. 14. The strengthening of multilateralism and the
For the ANC to live and lead, it must also strengthen building of a just and equitable world order.
its links and collaboration with mass democratic 15. The reaffirmation of the internationalist character
organisations and ensure that we build a broad front for of our movement and our specific responses to
faster change. global questions of the day.
The ANC Conference spelled out policy and the way The successful conclusion of the 51st National
forward with regard to all major areas of social activity, Conference of the movement comes a little more than a
in particular, with regards to:- year before the end of the First Decade of Freedom. The
1. Consolidating democracy and ensuring that we ANC will approach the forthcoming period as a strong,
involve people in the transformation of their lives. vibrant and united organisation, mobilising our people
2. Strengthening the system of local government and to celebrate our hard-won victories, to draw critical
the role and place of the traditional system of lessons for the future, and to set out firm pointers for
government. the progress that we need to make in the Second
3. Economic growth and development, social equity Decade. We shall approach the elections in 2004 in the
and job creation; context of uninterrupted struggle for the consolidation
4. The eradication of racism and sexism and the of the democratic order and further practical realisation
advancement of vulnerable groups such as people of the ideal of a better life for all. This requires that the
with disabilities, the youth, elderly and children. ANC strengthen its role as the leading political force in
5. The resolution of the land question and integrated the process of fundamental change.
and sustainable rural development. The ANC will advance in unity to the Year 2012 as
6. The eradication of urban slums and ending the our people and all patriots celebrate the Centenary of
apartheid patterns of human settlement. their movement, the African National Congress. We
7. A comprehensive social security system and pledge to serve the people of South Africa for peace,
human resource development. democracy, a shared sense of nationhood, and shared
8. The struggle against TB, AIDS, and other prosperity.
threatening health conditions and creating the This 51st National Conference rises with an ANC that
socio-economic conditions necessary for us to is united and more determined than ever to strengthen
realise the goal of health for all. its role as the voice of the people of South Africa, an
9. The RDP of the soul and the fight for the safety expression of the aspirations of all, and particularly of
and security of all our people. the poor.
10. Responding to the challenge of an inclusive
language policy and the development of a new
patriotism.
The army of reconstruction and development is unstoppable.
Victory is certain.
2!! SUMMARY OF 51ST NATIONAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTIONS
The resolutions adopted at the 51st National Conference to annually renew their membership by paying
in Stellenbosch will guide us over the next five years. subscriptions without applying for a new card.
This document is intended to provide the membership of
b) Developing our cadres so that the culture and
the ANC with a user-friendly, easy to read version of
traditions of the ANC remain strong
these resolutions. It is in no way meant to substitute for
! The movement needs a clear, coherent and
the actual resolutions, which have also been distributed
coordinated programme of political education across
in their original form throughout our structures.
all levels (i.e. National, Provincial, Regional and
Branch). The aim should be to educate and empower
the members of the ANC, especially at branch level.
BUILDING THE ANC
! The programme of induction of executive
As with all the Stellenbosch resolutions our decisions committees should reach beyond the provincial and
on ‘Building the ANC’ build on the foundations that we regional level: we should ensure the proper
laid at the 1997 Conference in Mafikeng, as well as the induction of all newly elected BECs.
resolutions of the National General Council in Port ! The NEC is tasked with developing training
Elizabeth in 2000. At Stellenbosch we reaffirmed both materials and programmes that will take forward the
of these decisions. implementation of this programme. These should
Our mission is to transform South Africa into a non- include materials on the history of the movement, as
racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous well as guidelines for action and conduct of ANC
society. These tasks can only be taken forward if we structures and cadres.
have a strong and effective ANC with clear c) Building internal democracy and discipline
programmes and organised structures. ! The document ‘Through the Eye of the Needle’,
The Stellenbosch resolution on Building the ANC should be borne in mind when electing our
emphasises that we face the following challenges: leadership at all levels. The leaders we elect must be
a) Strengthening the mass character of the ANC and accountable to the membership: their task is to
ensuring that we remain the largest mass political uphold and advance the interests of the people of
formation in South Africa South Africa and to build the ANC.
! Strong branches are the structures that must ! All structures of the movement must therefore be
implement our campaigns and programmes and democratic, accountable and transparent. Open
ensure that we are rooted in our communities. debate and discussion must be encouraged within
! The establishment of ward-based branches, as our structures and members of the ANC must
unifying structures in every community, has been a experience our democratic traditions through being
sign of progress in strengthening the mass character active participants in all deliberations, decisions and
of the movement. However, in some places activities. Therefore, all members will recognize that
(particularly rural areas) it has proven difficult to the culture of democracy within the movement
establish ward-based branches. Therefore the NEC provides no room for members or leaders to engage
has been given the task of drafting guidelines on in criticism outside of ANC structures.
how to overcome these problems. Nevertheless, the ! Leaders and members that deviate from these norms,
ward-based branch remains the principle ANC by encouraging populism, factionalism and division
structure at local level. within the ranks of the movement, should be dealt
! Our branches must have the resources they need to with decisively and speedily and in an even-handed
conduct mass mobilisation and implement our and consistent manner.
programmes. The resolution therefore calls on the d) Strengthening the ANC Women’s League and the
movement to ensure that branches do indeed have ANC Youth League, and working harder to draw
the necessary resources and infrastructure. the veterans of our movement into our day-to day
! We must urgently review the implementation of the
work
membership system to ensure that branches are ! The structures of the ANC at all levels should
timeously provided with the one-third membership provide support and encouragement to the
fee that is their due. The membership system should programmes of the Youth League and the Women’s
allow for members to join the organisation once and
3League. Our political education programmes should ! Our exports of manufactured goods, especially cars,
involve the leagues and educate the broader have rising significantly.
membership about questions of gender equality and ! Our economy is more focussed on the Southern
the importance of youth development. African region, as well as in Africa as a whole.
! We should also take steps to better utilise the ! We have created many empowerment opportunities
veterans of our movement as a resource for building for black people, women and the poor.
a new generation of cadreship at all levels. In ! Workers have benefited from our labour market
particular, veterans can play an important role in our reforms, and better labour relations have therefore
political education programmes. resulted.
However, we still face many challenges. The most
e) Building the Tripartite Alliance plus SANCO, and
important of these are:
mobilising a broad movement for transformation
! Mass poverty.
including NGO’s and civil society formations
! Inequality based on class, race, gender and region.
! Close working relations between alliance partners at
! High unemployment, with continuing job losses in
all levels are required. Conference called on the
the formal economy, and rising joblessness,
incoming NEC to take forward the implementation
especially among the youth.
of the Ekurhuleni Declaration. At all levels we
! Economic growth, the level of savings and of
should develop a coordinated political programme
investment are all too low.
with our alliance partners, which includes joint
! Building consensus within the Alliance and society
campaigns, joint political education programmes and
more generally on our economic policies.
other activities that support the achievement of the
objectives of non-racialism, non-sexism, democracy Objectives and Strategies
and transformation. The ANC has set the following objectives for economic
! We must also develop a programme to establish policy:
relationships with progressive NGOs and civil ! Faster economic growth, which creates employment
society structures in order to mobilise them into a for our people. This means, first and foremost, that
broad movement for transformation. ANC cadres at investment must improve both quantitatively and
all levels should participate in civil society qualitatively.
structures. ! Promoting equity in the ownership of productive
! Conference reaffirmed the important role of SANCO assets, as well as access to skills and infrastructure
in advancing the objectives of people-centred in order to empower Africans in particular, black
development and called on ANC structures to people in general, and women, youth and the poor.
strengthen our relationship with SANCO at all ! A substantial increase in jobs for our people.
levels. ! Programmes to meet basic needs and alleviate
poverty in ways that increase domestic demand and
provide long term jobs for our people.
ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION ! Well-managed integration within regional (i.e.
Africa) and world markets.
Our vision for economic transformation is a prosperous,
To achieve these objectives the ANC will prioritise the
equitable, stable and democratic society. This means
following strategies:
that there should be decent work and living standards
! Maintain macro-economic stability (i.e. work to
for all, as well as improved equity in ownership,
ensure that the exchange rate, the rate of inflation,
management skills and access to opportunities.
the interest rate, the level of debt and other factors
Our economy continues to be distorted by the legacy
remain steady).
of apartheid and colonial dispossession. When we took
! Reforms to the structure of key sectors of the
power in 1994 we faced a situation of massive
economy (i.e micro-economic reform) with the aim
inequality and increasing poverty, rising unemployment
of developing skills, increasing productivity,
and huge government debts.
meeting basic needs and creating employment.
Achievements and Challenges ! Support for small businesses, including through land
Despite the burden of this legacy, we have made reform and providing them with basic infrastructure.
significant progress over the last 8 years. This includes: ! Support for the income-generating activities of our
! Creating an environment of confidence, certainty people, including through improved income
and stability. transfers and services to alleviate poverty, in ways
! Government debt and inflation are both lower. that will improve family incomes and livelihoods.
4! Strong efforts to mobilise private-sector capital to transformation of government, to ensure that its various
invest in new projects and infrastructure. departments and structures are able to effectively
! Raising the quality and quantity of investment by the implement our programmes, is a critical aspect of our
public sector. National Democratic Revolution.
! Mobilising stakeholders (such as Labour and In other words, we aim to build a developmental
Business) behind the concept of sustainable state, which is capable of addressing the legacy of
development through initiatives like the Growth and apartheid colonialism and patriarchy, which is able to
Development Summit. be the driving force behind the transformation of our
! Implementing a comprehensive strategy for food country and creating a better life for all.
security. This means, amongst other things, that the state must
! Using our water to ensure positive economic, social develop the systems and structures to provide quality
and environmental benefits for our people. service delivery to our people, which is sustainable in
! Monitor and assess our labour legislation to improve the long run.
the working conditions of our people, especially But the people themselves must be involved in the
vulnerable sectors. decisions that affect their lives. If they are not involved,
! Support the Proudly South African campaign. then social policies and political interventions are less
likely to succeed. This means that participatory
Collective Responsibility for Sustainable Growth
democracy (i.e. where the people participate in
and Development
decisions) should complement and enhance
We have managed the economy well since coming to
representative democracy (i.e. where the people elect
power. In particular the huge government debt has been
their representatives to make these decisions).
reduced and this provides us with the space to increase
Of particular importance to this is the new system of
government spending now in a way that does not
local government, which came into being in December
compromise us in the long run.
2000. Local government faces the challenge of
However, our economic vision cannot be realised
mobilising the masses of our people to actively
through government acting alone. All South Africans
participate in matters of governance. At the same time it
must assume collective responsibility to strengthen the
directly faces the serious challenge of urbanisation.
pillars of sustainable development (i.e. economic
An important challenge that we all face is to root out
growth, social development and environmental
corruption, which is a social scourge affecting all of us.
protection) at every level – at local, national, regional
After considering these matters, our Stellenbosch
and global levels.
Conference resolved that:
In other words our strategies can only succeed if we
! The current electoral system should be kept because
mobilise our members, allies and the masses in general
it ensures the representation of a broad range of
around them. To do this we need a well-defined
voices. However, we must review the constituency
strategy of education and discussion within the ANC.
work of our public representatives to make sure that
We also need to discuss and engage our Alliance
they are accountable to ANC structures and our
partners and the broader civil society on matters of
people in general.
economic policy. The Ekurhuleni Declaration of the
! On matters of corruption, our conference resolved
Alliance is important in this regard as is the NGC
that there should be a national anti-corruption
resolution on the inclusion of economic literacy in our
campaign. Also the ANC and its members must lead
political education programmes.
by example in the struggle against corruption. This
We will measure progress of our economic policies
means that:
by looking at the following statistics:
o Any ANC member who is engaged in corruption
! The economic growth rate
must be dealt with through disciplinary action.
! Reduction in unemployment
o ANC cadres should be at the forefront of
! Increase in real GDP per capita (i.e. average income)
‘whistle-blowing’ (i.e. exposing corruption and
! The Human Development Index
unethical conduct amongst public officials)
! The Poverty Gap index
o The ANC should develop ethical guidelines,
! Indices of macro-economic stability
which would say how our members should
behave and empower them to avoid being
compromised by corrupt people.
TRANSFORMATION OF THE STATE AND
! The ANC should review the work of ‘institutions
GOVERNANCE
enhancing democracy’ (i.e. the Public Protector,
The government is the key to many of the programmes Human Rights Commission, Commission for
of change that we seek to pursue. This means that the Gender Equality, Independent Electoral Commission
5and others) in order to make sure that they have the ANC constitutional structures, especially branches,
capacity to do their work. The ANC should also should complement the functioning of Ward
create public awareness about these institutions so Committees so that residents and sectors of society
that our people are able to use them properly. The are mobilised to actively participate in development.
NEC should submit a report on these structures to Women’s’ caucuses must be established in all
the next National General Council of the ANC. spheres of government, including local government.
! All ANC structures must take forward the Letsema ! We must also accelerate the transformation of the
and Masakhane campaigns wherever we find public service by creating a single, development
ourselves – in schools, on farms and in the cities. oriented and integrated system of public
ANC structures and cadres must also play a leading administration. This would enable public servants to
role in local community forums, including ward transfer between various spheres and departments of
committees, School Governing Bodies, Community government, but still remain within the same system.
Policing Forums. As we do so, we should also accelerate gender
! We must all act to take bring Parliament, the representivity and the representation of people with
legislatures and councils closer to the people. In disabilities in all public sector organisations, at all
particular we must pay attention to how we can levels, in particular middle and senior management
encourage the participation of both men and women, level. Clear programmes must be developed to
of the literate and the illiterate, of the rural poor, the capacitate women and cadres with disabilities; and
working people, and people with disabilities and furthermore to establish better co-ordination of the
how we can encourage them to gather ad express ANCWL, OSW, and gender committees.
themselves on matters relevant to their basic ! The ANC should also act to galvanise the support of
conditions. Also the NEC must develop ways of communities in an effort to improve service delivery
strengthening the ability of ANC Branches, Alliance and strengthen the actions of alliance partners that
structures and other civil society structures to contribute towards improving service delivery. The
participate in policy processes and inform decisions Letsema campaign should become a permanent
on issues affecting the lives of our people. feature of the Batho Pele process. The ANC should
! All the legislatures (i.e. parliament, provincial also lead a political education campaign to help our
legislatures and municipal councils) must improve members to engage with public officials and demand
their ability to monitor and assess the performance services, and to help our structures play a political
of government departments, and should be given the leadership and oversight role in relation to service
resources to carry this out. Also we need to build the delivery. We should also develop a partnership with
capacity of MPs, MPLs and Councillors to do this all public sector unions in order to achieve the goals
work. The incoming NEC will review the of Batho Pele in order to ensure the realization of
effectiveness of legislatures and the size of the improvement of service delivery in an endeavour to
legislatures in the light of their roles and functions, improve the quality of life of our people.
the functions of members of the National Assembly, There must a mechanism to review and evaluate the
delegates of the National Council of Provinces and performance of deployed ANC cadres. The NEC will
Members of Provincial Legislatures. review the functioning of current structures to provide
! The government must keep control of the political direction to cadres deployed in all spheres of
infrastructure required for basic service delivery, governance and to ensure accountability.
such as water, sanitation and other community
facilities. The government must also improve its
ability to ensure that these services are delivered to SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
our people, with a special focus on access for the
Cadres of the ANC have an obligation to lead social
poor and marginalised.
transformation wherever they are deployed, guided by
! The parastatals (i.e. state owned enterprises), which
the slogans, vision and objectives to he ANC. Our
are strategic public assets, must meet the
agenda for social transformation is clearly stated in the
developmental goals of the country, in particular
Reconstruction and Development Programme, which is
through improving access to basic services.
based on the fundamental objective of building a more
! The ANC must give support to our cadres deployed
equal, more human and caring society.
in local government and also strengthen our
Our aim, therefore, is to build a better life for all
guidelines on how they should be held accountable.
through a people-centred and people-driven programme
Particular attention must be given to municipalities
of social transformation. This means that our attack on
with weaker revenue bases, and these must be given
poverty must seek to empower our people to take their
the resources they need to function effectively. Also,
6own lives into their own hands, to take themselves out Furthermore, as a movement, we should:
of poverty, while at the same time creating social nets ! Campaign to ensure that all children eligible for
to protect the most vulnerable. Social transformation grants do access them.
requires a combination of policies aimed at engaging ! Continue to engage with progressive forces
people in the reconstruction of our own communities. campaigning around social security issues.
These policies include: ! Work closely with civil society organisations to
! Improving the ‘social wage’ and social grants. combat and eliminate corruption and abuse of the
! Providing the poor with access to quality education. social security system.
! Integrating land and housing delivery so as to ! Look into the issue of former MK members who did
deracialise our human settlements. not qualify for special pensions due to age.
! Improving access to water and sanitation.
Health for All
! Providing affordable health care to all.
Conference resolved that government should:
! Confronting the challenge of HIV and AIDS as well
! Strengthen Primary Health Care, especially in rural
as other diseases, particularly TB and cholera.
areas, improve the availability of doctors and nurses
! Protecting the rights of the vulnerable (e.g. farm-
and ensure that national norms and standards are
workers) and providing them with opportunities for
properly applied across the country.
a better life.
! Speed up the implementation of recommendations
! Providing our people with access to services,
on a National Health Insurance system. This would
schools, work-places and amenities, especially in
aim to improve access by South Africans to public
rural areas.
health care, and reduce inequalities between public
! Building a new South African identity through
and private health care providers. Also, we should
sports and culture.
strengthen the ability of public health care providers
There is much that we have done since 1994 to
to charge those who can afford to pay.
achieve these things, both as a government and as a
! Speed up the implementation of the national AIDS
liberation movement. However, while we have
strategy.
developed the right policies, we need to work much
Also, conference resolved that the ANC should be at
harder to implement them.
the forefront of community mobilisation and leadership
Attacking Poverty and Comprehensive Social around HIV and AIDS. This includes taking the lead on
Security issues of awareness, prevention, voluntary testing and
Conference resolved that government should: counselling, treatment and care. The ANC must
! Continue with its plans to implement a continue to fight against the discrimination of people
comprehensive social security system. living with HIV and AIDS and root out any stigma that
! Expand our existing programmes of social assistance people who are affected or infected face.
such as pensions, the child support grant and the
Human Resource Development
school nutrition programme.
Conference resolved that government should:
! Remove obstacles to the delivery of free basic
! Review funding to ensure that schools serving the
services to all in the shortest possible time,
poor are provided with proper resources. This would
particularly areas where the rural poor live.
include a review of all the factors that lead to
! Implement a comprehensive public works
growing cost of education, especially for the poor.
programme, linked to our urban renewal and rural
! Introduce a system of incentives to attract and keep
development strategies, to deal with the effects of
skilled professionals in underserved areas,
unemployment.
particularly rural areas. At the moment health
! Implement the National Youth Service Programme
professionals are required to do community service
at all levels.
and we should also explore the possibility of
! Implement an integrated food security strategy.
introducing community service for professions that
! Prioritise the equitable distribution of National
are critical to our social transformation agenda as
Lottery Funds, especially to women, children, youth
well as the possibility of extending community
and the aged.
service to all higher education students. Government
! Build the capacity of government to deal with social
should also find ways of curbing the loss of
development, which should be separated from the
professionals who migrate to the developed
social security.
countries.
! Ensure that adequate funding is provided to meet the
! Speed up the human resource development
social development, poverty alleviation and social
programme in the public service, and especially to
security challenges that we face as a country.
build the capacity of municipalities in service
7delivery areas critical for social transformation. Government should also:
Included in this is the expansion of learnership (or ! Be at the forefront of transforming sports, and
internship) programmes. should intervene where necessary to ensure that this
! Review the operation of School Governing Bodies to process does take place.
ensure that they are democratic and representative. ! Ensure the development of sports infrastructure,
! Focus on developing Information and Technology especially in the poorer areas.
skills. In particular government should ensure that The ANC should also lead in the promotion of our
ICT touches all public schools in the country with national symbols as part of the process of building a
visible speed. new South African identity. This includes using the
Conference also said that the ANC should: official version of the national anthem in all ANC
! Develop a human resources development strategy gatherings.
that would aim at developing ANC cadres to occupy We must also protect our own cultural heritage as the
strategic positions in the economy, in line with our ANC, including our rich history, which is a major
deployment strategy. contribution to the new South African national identity.
! Mobilise our structures, and communities in general, We must find ways of ensuring that this heritage is kept
behind the proposed restructuring and alive and passed from generation to generation. This
transformation of higher education. includes promoting our heritage and historical memory
All of us, both the ANC, our allies and government at the local level.
have a responsibility to ensure that the money collected Also, government must speed up programmes that
through the skills levies are effectively used for skills promote all the languages of the country, particularly
development of our people. those languages that were discriminated against in the
past.
Housing, Basic Services and Human Settlements
Conference resolved that, amongst other things,
government should:
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
! Speed up the delivery of water and sanitation so that,
by 2008, all our people should have clean water and Before 1994 economic growth in South Africa was
that by 2010 all sanitation problems are eliminated. characterised by extremes of development and under-
! Expand the housing programme to include: social development, resulting in the legacy of South Africa as
housing, people’s housing and rental housing. a country of two nations. The apartheid era left a legacy
! Root out corruption in the delivery of RDP houses, of social and economic infrastructure that is not
so that the houses go to those who are most in need. integrated, environmentally unsustainable, of poor
! Promote the development and maintenance of roads, quality and unequally distributed. The interests of white
especially in rural areas. communities, business and security considerations
Land Reform influenced infrastructure programmes. There was little
Conference said that government should: or no consideration of the needs of the poor and rural
! Speed up land reform.
areas.
! Audit the land owned by the government, to ensure
Since 1994 we have made the following progress in
that it is being used to achieve our social goals. infrastructure development.
! 2.8 million phones have been installed, most of
The ANC was also mandated to work with other
formations to mobilise our people in rural areas and which are in previously neglected areas.
! Over 1.4 million housing subsidies have been
lead a popular campaign for rural development. In
particular, we should mobilise around the issue of farm- allocated and over 1.3 million houses built.
! Over 3 million homes have been electrified.
workers to ensure that they are able to benefit for the
! We have spent over R18 billion on roads; rural roads
rights they already have.
have been built consistently through an array of
Heritage, Sports, Recreations, Arts and Culture interventions, including the Community Based
Stellenbosch resolved that the ANC should lead in the Public Works Programme.
transformation of sport. This means we should set up an ! We have also spent over R1.6 billion on rail
ANC Sports Desk, which would help set up sports infrastructure.
structures in the alliance at all levels and lead the ! The Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure
adoption of a National Transformation Charter on Programme has allocated about R3.4 billion for
Sports. sanitation, water, roads, and storm water projects
and nearly R5 billion has been spent on rural water
supply schemes to serve over 7 million people.
8! The infrastructure budgets for education and health infrastructure plan and draw in other stakeholders and
facilities have increased dramatically. develop an overall infrastructure investment
! A substantial number of jobs have been created framework.
through these investments. The Expanded Public Works Programme must be a
Although the basic infrastructure policy is sound, the major priority and be designed to make a significant
mechanisms of delivery and the visible impact on contribution to reducing unemployment and providing
poverty, on the lives of women, youth, rural livelihoods for the poor, women, youth and people with
communities and people living on farms must be disabilities. The programme must focus on
accelerated through better integration and coordination ! Creating jobs, through labour intensive construction
of infrastructure delivery. and maintenance.
Infrastructure development is a primary driver of ! Creating sustainable assets for the poor.
economic growth and social development. Therefore ! Creating income generating opportunities for
our programme of infrastructure development must aim, communities.
amongst others, at the following objectives: Conference also resolved that, in the spirit of
! Job creation, poverty eradication and income Letsema, ANC branches should initiate campaigns to
generation through an expanded Public Works support and participate in infrastructure development
Programme approach, using labour intensive programmes. ANC structures should also monitor these
methods of construction, development and programmes.
maintenance. Our branches should also mobilise the community to
! Building a globally competitive economy. understand and support the rollout of free basic services
! To promote the sustainable use of all forms of for the poor, whose success will be dependent on a
energy including nuclear to facilitate economic culture of payment.
development and provide basic services. To allow
for cross subsidies to ensure affordability of energy
sources to the poor and to promote renewable INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
energy.
! The ANC's Strategy and Tactics document adopted
! Building democratic participation in development.
at our 50th National Conference in 1997 remains
! Black Economic Empowerment, especially through
valid and relevant to the current international
building the capacity of and affirming the
situation. Our international policy conforms to the
participation of small contractors.
principles of our national policies based on good
! A competitive, developmental and transformed
governance, peace and stability, human rights and
construction industry.
creating a better life for all, by creating a better
! Integrated provision of infrastructure to drive rural,
world.
urban and human settlement development.
! The ANC-led government has taken its rightful
! Facilities in rural areas that address social needs,
place in international relations, playing a leading
food security, isolation, safety and security and rural
role within the UN and other international
economic development including tourism and
organisations. Our delegations are central in all
agriculture.
major developments. Together with other leading
To take this forward, conference resolved that
players our delegation was in the vanguard at many
government must develop an Integrated Infrastructure
international conferences, including the World
Plan, which incorporates and consolidates development
Conference against Racism, the WTO Ministerial
plans across all spheres of government, especially
Meeting in Doha, the UN Conference on Financing
ensuring alignment with Integrated Development Plans
for Development in Monterey and the World
(IDPs) of local government, the Integrated Sustainable
Summit for Sustainable Development in
Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) and the Urban
Johannesburg.
Renewal Programme (URP).
! The world remains divided between the rich
Government must establish a National Coordinating
developed nations and the poor developing nations,
Forum for Infrastructure Development to facilitate
and this gap is widening, as is the gap between rich
discussion and implementation of an integrated
and poor within all societies. The South African
infrastructure plan, based an enhanced public works
reality, of a divided society, one section being rich
programme. The National Forum would include
and well resourced and the other poor and under-
national, provincial and locals spheres of governments,
resourced, reflects this international dichotomy.
as well as relevant State Owned Enterprises. It would
! Globalisation has become an established trend, with
Consider economic, social, planning and
both negative and positive features. Rather than
implementation implications of adopting the integrated
9adopting an attitude of blanket opposition towards it, international instruments are being reversed as a
globalisation should be understood dialectically, result of the growing strength of right wing religious
with destructive as well as constructive features that and secular movements. However, anti-war
can create new opportunities, which developing sentiment and the desire for peace still animates
countries should seize. many sections of society in the countries of the
! The international balance of forces has been North. Networks built on the principle of human
radically transformed by the posture adopted by the solidarity, democratic government and peace have
Republican administration of the USA which has also gathered limited momentum.
embraced unilateralism and big power politics as its ! There are a number of international flash points,
principal thrust. It is employing official development including the Middle East, South Asia and a number
assistance to reinforce a USA centred Alliance of African countries. Among these the Middle East
system, and as an instrument to pressurise countries (Israeli/Palestine, US/Iraq) is probably the most
into conformity and to punish governments it volatile. International conflicts are fuelled by the
disapproves of. proliferation of trade in small arms, and that, in the
! The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 also post-Cold War environment, humanity is still faced
serve as a pretext and stimulant for US unilateralism. with the threat of weapons of mass destruction.
Overt interventionism has become an explicit feature
of the US foreign policy, with the openly stated
purpose of forcefully changing governments. Since COMMUNICATIONS
international terrorism is a global threat, this new
Communications play a major role in deepening our
direction of the US policy has encountered very little
democracy, promoting a culture of human rights and as
resistance from its allies and other nations. In
a key pillar in the transformation of our country. While
pursuance of this policy direction, the Republican
valuable progress has been made in transforming the
administration supplements unilateralism with the
media and challenging the legacy of the apartheid
creation of "coalitions of the willing" which it then
media discourse, a lot still has to be done.
employs for its foreign policy objectives. Pre-
Media and communications are contested terrains
emptive military strikes and gunboat diplomacy has
and therefore not neutral, but reflect the ideological
once again become a key feature of some countries
battles and power relations based on race, class and
in the west and there has been an upsurge of
gender in our society and that some sections of the
Islamophobia.
media continue to adopt an anti-transformation, anti-
! There has also been a rightward shift in the electoral
ANC stance and are not accountable to the general
politics of Western Europe leading to heightening
public.
xenophobia, racism and a "fortress Europe"
mentality. In opposition to this the developing Conference decided that the ANC should:
countries have attempted to create solidarity among ! Strengthen its own communication machinery at all
themselves, to build their collective capacity to levels of the organisation, including increasing the
handle conflict within and amongst developing number of people working in ANC communications.
countries, and to create mechanisms for conflict ! Increase the visibility of the ANC through various
resolution. forms of media including regular mass meetings,
! Though there has been a marked improvement in the people's forums and imbizos and through the
Human Rights situation internationally, the effective use of parliamentary constituency offices
accession of the Republican Administration in the (PCOs) as centres of information on government
USA, is leading to the erosion of gains on the programmes.
multilateral plain, threatening the effectiveness of ! Empower ANC cadres to be more vigilant, engage in
the UN multilateral system. the battle of ideas and be able to articulate and
! In the developed countries we have witnessed the defend the policies of the movement.
retreat or virtual disintegration of progressive forces. ! Invest in the training of its cadres deployed at
The marginalisation of the poorest and most various levels on communication and media skills
vulnerable members of society in both the North and through the establishment of a media institute and
the South has made rightwing fundamentalism an the integration of media and communication issues
attractive ideology. Because of these trends, we have in political education.
also witnessed a clawing back of many human ! Develop induction programmes for leadership and
rights, including the rights and the gains women cadres on public speaking and communications in
have made during the latter part of the 20th century. general, as well as proper distribution and
The Beijing Programme of Action and related
10dissemination of information including ANC authority to alignment of messages, timing and
publications at grassroots level. general communication of its policies and
! Intensify the training of Ministers, MECs, MPs, programmes.
MPLs and Councillors in dealing with the media and ! Continuously engage with international media and
communications in general. agencies in order to profile and promote the image
! Strengthen and improve its communication with of our country.
alliance partners and increases its communication ! Actively promote and assist local communities,
with civil society organisations. especially in rural areas, to apply for community
! Continue to engage the media so that it can play a radio licences and the establishment of community
constructive role in our democracy and participate newspapers taking advantage of the opportunities
meaningfully in the building of a national consensus. offered through the Media Development and
! Ensure that all ANC local, regional and provincial Diversity Agency.
offices must have functional Internet, telephone and ! Increase its advertising spend on community media.
fax lines that will allow a timeous dissemination and ! Increase access of the Information and
distribution of ANC information and publications. Communication and Technology sector to
! That our own communication should be clear and previously disadvantaged communities and
simple, in languages that people understand. encourage coordination of existing ICT initiatives
! Use radio as an important medium to communicate such as tele-centres, Multi-Purpose Community
with communities, including community radio Centres, as well as raise public awareness on ICT
stations and community publications, to highlight and its impact on human development.
delivery and interact with the public. ! Promote diverse ownership and control of the
! Establish a media and communication forum where country's media in all its forms.
cadres deployed in various sectors can interact and ! Pursue the transformation of the public broadcaster
provide regular reports on transformation issues. to reflect the unity and diversity of our people and
! Speed-up the process of encouraging the emergence the needs of the democratic society and build a
of media platforms that objectively inform the strong public broadcaster that promotes and protects
masses about the ANC's perspectives and positions. all eleven official languages equally through local
! Enforce discipline at all levels of our structures to content programming
prevent media leaks and the undermining of internal ! Move towards establishing a public funded model of
processes. the public broadcaster characterised by cross-
! Give more active leadership to government subsidisation, including parastatal sponsorship of
communications. local content and investment from different
! Pursue the transformation of the advertising and departments.
marketing industry including the training of ! Increase its funding of the public broadcaster.
previously disadvantaged individuals, and engage ! Take forward the matter of the national youth radio
the industry to support local content and media and station.
the production of advertisements that are not ! Ensure that the public broadcaster reports and
degrading to women and people with disabilities. informs the public on the work of government,
! Encourage that curricula for training journalists including local and provincial government and that it
contain progressive political and social content and plays its role in promoting social development and
also to encourage media houses to invest in training economic participation.
and improving research capacity of journalists.
The public broadcaster should:
! Ensure that the newsrooms reflect the demography
! Ensure that its television programmes have "Closed
of our country, using such instruments as the
Captioning", sign language and other means to cater
Employment Equity Act.
for deaf people.
! Participate in the establishment of independent civil
! Establish dedicated parliamentary radio and TV
society forums to promote accountability and
channels to increase access to information by people
objectivity of the media and ensure that public
and increase the participation of the masses in public
interest issues are being adequately addressed.
debates.
Conference also resolved that government should: ! Be encouraged to establish alliances with other
! Ensure that its reports are clear and simple and broadcasters within the African continent in
distributed in a language that people understand. furtherance of the goals of the African Union and
! Ensure better integration and coordination of all NEPAD.
government communications, with the necessary
11! Should ensure its programming is sensitive to o Coordinate the work of members of the ANC
gender, culture and the well being of children. who serve on Community Policing Forums
o Coordinate peace and stability projects, including
moral regeneration activities,
PEACE AND STABILITY o Mobilise our communities to generate
intelligence to assist the law enforcement
Our vision is derived from the Freedom Charter, which
agencies in the investigation of crime, and
proclaimed in 1955 that "There Shall, be Peace and
o Build and integrate MKMVA structures into
Friendship." The elimination of poverty and
ANC programmes.
unemployment and an improvement in living standards
! Parents who neglect their children, thus exposing
will ultimately minimise crime, especially among the
them to sexual and other abuses, should be
youth.
prosecuted in terms of the existing laws, while the
While a lot of progress has been made in improving
law enforcement agencies investigate the crimes in
the conditions for peace and stability a number of
order to bring perpetrators to book.
challenges remain, including:
! All Criminal Justice System structures of
! Social mobilisation against crime and how to make
government should be aligned to the existing
the CPFs more effective.
municipal boundaries to facilitate delivery and
! Government measures to deal with rape, domestic
access in terms of the Integrated Justice System.
violence, abuse of children, women and the elderly.
! The next five years should be used to consolidate
! Speeding up transformation of the judiciary to
and strengthen municipal police at Metro level, with
ensure representativity, access to justice for all,
an intention to assign them with additional tasks of
especially in rural areas.
local public policing.
! Mobilise communities for intelligence support.
! Building the capacity of SANDF by providing it On the SANDF
with adequate resources in order for it to play a ! Ensure that the transformation in the SANDF is
larger role in peacekeeping and humanitarian accelerated and that training programmes be
assistance in Africa and the world. designed, especially targeting the youth, to achieve
this.
Conference decided that the ANC and government
! Make a full assessment of the demilitarisation and
should:
re-integration programme of ex-combatants and
! Educate our structures and people on how the
ensure the implementation of the project in an
integrated Justice System works to facilitate easy
effective and sustainable manner.
access to services.
! Ensure that urgent attention be paid to the re-
! Develop a plan and strategy to identify, deploy and
skilling, development and integration into society of
re-deploy our cadres to strategic positions in the
ex-combatants of the liberation struggle, ex- SADF
security cluster, ensuring that measures are put in
and ex- SANDF personnel and veterans and the
place to monitor the performance and to hold these
youth on a multi-pronged basis, involving relevant
cadres accountable.
departments and stakeholders in civil society.
! Strengthen civilian oversight over the security
! Integrate former ex-combatants into the reserve
departments.
force, and ensure that reserve force is representative
! Provide a proper legal basis for the transformation of
of the demographics of our country and that enough
the Safety and Security Cluster by passing new
resources are put in place for this programme.
legislation in accordance with the 1996 Constitution.
! Phase out the Commando Units as part of the force
! Ensure that the exercise of the right of association
design of the SANDF, without compromising the
will not compromise national security and the
security of farming communities.
integrity of the security forces and services.
! The Service Corps as a national resource, supported
! Prepare exhaustive profiles of our communities, in
by different state departments, must be re-
terms of the economic conditions and the social and
engineered into a vehicle for effective
other crimes therein, for the deployment of members
demilitarisation and re-skilling of former soldiers for
of law enforcements agencies and related
effective re-integration into full economic and social
departments, in the context of Government's crime
life of our society.
prevention programme.
! All ANC PEC's should establish peace and stability On the South African Police Services (SAPS)
sub-committees, responsible to the PEC, that among ! Expand the role of the Community Police Fora and
other things, will: the Community Safety Fora, to empower them to
play a more meaningful part in the safety and
12security of communities and, encourage ANC Justice
branches to become more actively involved in these ! Pay special attention to speeding up legislation to
structures and to pay attention to their adequate create a grievance procedure to deal with complaints
funding. against judicial officers.
! Establish uniform constitutional regulations for the ! Expedite the transformation of the Judiciary, to
Community Police Forums. create a more representative, competent, sensitive,
! Legislate for the establishment of the Community humane and responsive judiciary.
Safety Forums. ! Crimes against women and children, especially rape,
! Ensure a more equitable distribution of police should have priority in the criminal justice system
resources between the townships and the suburbs especially on the part of investigating and
and between urban and rural areas, including prosecution authorities, as well as the consolidation
training and literacy programmes to upgrade skills of and strengthening of our victim empowerment
members of the SAPS to effectively perform their system.
duties. ! Early implementation of the Promotion of Equality
! Strengthen and speed the process of the regulation of and Prohibition of Unfair Discrimination Act (2000)
private security and intelligence companies. for the effective campaigns against racism in all
! Intensify campaigns at all levels to reduce crime, areas of life and the implementation of all other
especially the proliferation of illegal weapons and legislation which have a transformation element or
drugs, corruption and fraudulent activities, the abuse agenda.
of women and children, the elderly and family
On Home Affairs
violence.
! Ensure the transformation of the department, in line
! Provide a proper legal basis for the transformation of
with our objectives to ensure efficient service, the
the SAPS by putting in place a Safety and Security
security and the integrity of the Population Register.
Act, in replacement of the current SAPS Act which
! The ANC should develop a coherent immigration
is still based on the Interim Constitution.
policy.
! Government to speed up the establishment of a
! A more effective national campaign be developed to
Security and Protection Division within SAPS for all
eliminate corruption in all government departments,
government strategic installations.
especially in Home Affairs, Correctional Services,
On Correctional Services South African Police Service and the Department of
! ANC must develop, as a matter of urgency, Justice and Constitutional Development.
appropriate policies in respect of every aspect of ! Home Affairs services be brought closer to where
Correctional Services with the central feature being the people reside and made more user-friendly.
the immediate rehabilitation of offenders to re-
integrate them into society.
! Correctional Services Department must be
TARGETED GROUPS
adequately resourced to deal with the challenges,
serious problems and difficulties confronting the Women, youth, children, the elderly and people
department and ensure that the necessary steps are with disabilities
taken for the implementation of these matters.
Since its formation, the African National Congress and
! Accelerated attention be paid to the rehabilitation,
its allies have fought for the equality of all sections of
development and education of the entire prison
South African society irrespective of race, sex, culture,
community – this could be done through co-
religion or physical make up.
ordinated departmental programmes, such as adult
Amongst the motive forces, there are sectors of our
basic education and training programmes.
society who are marginalised, disadvantaged or
! Government renovates and refurbishes all its
vulnerable because of patriarchy, age or being
buildings that are unused for occupation by inmates
differently-abled. These sectors include women, youth,
serving time, as part of Governance programmes to
the elderly, children and people with disabilities. Policy
reduce prison overcrowding.
development within the structures of the movement has
On Intelligence taken into consideration the special needs of these
! Promote awareness of the role of intelligence so as targeted groups.
to elicit maximum cooperation and support from
Conference decided that ANC structures:
communities.
! Must ensure the mobilisation of the different
! Commit to the building of well resourced
targeted groups within its ranks, and work with their
intelligence capacity.
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