By Marcus Moloko
The Birchwood Hotel Conference Centre was filled with activity on Monday as ANC delegates streamed in for the opening of the 5th National General Council.
From provincial leaders to branch representatives, delegates exchanged warm greetings as they prepared to set the tone for the three-day session.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile and former President Thabo Mbeki were among the high-profile arrivals. Their presence underscored the gravity of the gathering, with long-standing party members joining to shape the future direction of the ANC.
The main hall filled quickly as the leadership prepared to discuss crucial matters that would be etched in history.
Large banners draped across walls and entrances carried the ANC emblem, with party members honouring the conference by dressing in party colours.
In his address, President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed the party’s role as the correct vehicle for economic transformation. He stressed that renewal of the organisation required a return to the ANC’s traditions and culture as a movement rooted among the people, representing their interests and aspirations.
Ramaphosa reminded delegates that the NGC served as a midterm review between national elective conferences, and urged them to interrogate how the ANC can be strengthened, renewed, and recalibrated to better serve the country.
His remarks drew rousing applause from the 1,800 delegates gathered from branches nationwide.
Turning to the economy, Ramaphosa confronted the decline of South Africa’s manufacturing sector, saying it was vital for the NGC to discuss interventions that could revive industrial growth.
He insisted that 2025 was not the time to abandon economic redress, pointing to the enduring legacy of colonial dispossession and apartheid, which continued to shape inequality in wealth, income, and land ownership.
Ramaphosa argued that under his stewardship, South Africa was on the correct economic path, but emphasised that policies must be recalibrated to meet the needs of the people and ensure the ANC remains a caring organisation that delivers on its promises.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s address welcomed ANC delegates to the province while condemning a surge in violent killings.
He urged Ramaphosa and the movement to send a clear, decisive message that criminals’ “time is over”.
He called for the 5th NGC to become a turning point for the ANC, warning that unchecked crime and drug abuse threaten the nation’s youth and urging delegates to embrace O.R. Tambo’s spirit of organisation, mobilisation, and leadership.
The ANC NGC held a prayer session for victims of gender based violence.
ANCWL president Sisisi Tolashe acknowledged the national crisis of GBV and urged ANC leaders to drive transformation and inspire positive change in society.
Tolashe said the name of the ANC will not be used to shield any perpetrator.
She warned that abuse against women and children had reached its worst levels across the country.
“By the end of this National General Council, we would have committed everyone under this roof for all of us to go back, and not only to talk about gender-based violence and femicide, but to do something drastic about it,” she said.
Former Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe were also in attendance.
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