CHARLES MOLELE
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says resolving the persistent loadshedding and strengthening the fight against crime and corruption in South Africa were some of key priorities for the governing party in 2023.
Speaking at the ANC’s 111th anniversary celebrations in Mangaung on Sunday, the newly elected ANC president said mobilising social partners around economic reconstruction and recovery in order to increase job creation, investment and empowerment was another top priority for his party.
Ramaphosa, who has faced harsh criticism for not acting swiftly enough on errant ANC members such as the so-called “RET Forces”, added that his party’s renewal process, now placed at the centre of the ANC’s Vision 2032 adopted at the 55th National Conference, was ‘irreversible’ and ‘unstoppable’.
“The journey of renewal has to begin in earnest and become unstoppable and irreversible so that we pay attention to and direct all our energies to the resolution of the pressing problems facing the people of South Africa,” he told party supporters.
While critics remain sceptical and unconvinced, ANC supporters told Inside Politics that Ramaphosa’s January 8 Statement this year offered an impassioned and detailed account of prospective policy interventions adopted at the 55th National Conference, which promises to address all these challenges facing his party and the country.
“The ANC acknowledges that we are at a moment of fundamental consequence in the life of our nation. Across the country, the people are going through tough times: They are increasingly losing hope of ever finding employment or setting up viable business and those trying to eke out a living in the informal sector facing harassment and red tape,” Ramaphosa told just over 22 000 ANC supporters gathered at the rally adorned in ANC regalia and carrying the party’s banners.
“The energy crisis undermines economic growth and investment prospects, and persistent load-shedding destroys businesses and compromises the production of food and the provision of social services such as water, sanitation, community safety, education and health. Increasing lawlessness, criminality and violence creates a situation in which women and children live in fear not only in the streets of their towns and villages but also in their homes.”
Turning to the issue of crime, Ramaphosa said the ANC calls on the national government to take urgent steps to enhance the crime-fighting capacity of law enforcement agencies by increasing the number of police personnel “to match our country’s population increase, in line with international norms.”
“Urgent steps must also be taken to rebuild the capacity of law enforcement agencies and other institutions of the criminal justice system which were weakened by state capture and corruption.”
“The ANC further directs that Government to immediately adopt and implement a National Plan of Action to deal with rising levels of crime such as kidnapping, human trafficking, drug trafficking, gangsterism, illegal mining, construction mafia, wanton vandalism of public infrastructure and border security,” he said.
On gender-based violence, Ramaphosa said the criminal justice system needs to be strengthened by increasing the number of sexual offences courts, ensuring all police stations are adequately equipped to deal with GBFV cases, and imposing harsher sentences for GBVF-related crimes and stricter bail conditions for suspects.
“We commend the ANC Women’s League, civil society and social movements who are leading the campaign against gender-based violence. All ANC members, men and women, must take a firm stance and visibly be involved in the fight against GBVF, individually and collectively. We must work with civil society organisations, community-based and faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, trade unions and business so that patriarchy is challenged in every area of our society.”
INSIDE POLITICS
