ANC unleashes policy discussion document
Minister Jeff Radebe on the podium addressing the media at Luthuli house.
Thulisile Mngadi
Busisiwe Ndzipo
The African National Congress (ANC) has launched its Policy Discussion Document ahead of the national policy conference to be held in June.
This was revealed at a media briefing held at Luthuli House in Johannesburg. Insiders have labelled the upcoming conference as a ‘festival of ideas’.
According to the ruling party,The principal objective of releasing this document is to enable all members of the ANC, at all levels of the organisation, to review the implementation of policies adopted at the 53rd National Conference, to assess their adequacy and to propose areas for policy review or new policies towards the 54th National Conference, to be held in December 2017.
Talking on behalf of the movement’s NEC subcommittee officials, Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe, told the packed journalists that the ANC looks forward to a wide-ranging discussion, highlighting divergent views and intense debate on its policy proposals.
“We trust that the organisation and the nation will emerge from this process with a united, common vision of our country’s developmental trajectory.”
Furthermore, Radebe announced that South Africa is a much better place to live in 2017 than twenty or, even, ten years ago adding that, This is largely attributable to the policies and programmes of the ANC.
“We have made significant progress in every measurable area and improved peoples’ access to health care, schooling, housing and other areas.
Poverty has halved between 2002 and 2011, according to Stats SA. The number of households with access to energy and electricity services increased from 77% to 86% and water infrastructure services from 80 to 86%, between 2002 – 2014, which exceeds the approved RDP standards.”
Radebe also made known that ANC is steadily working on the remaining challenges and have adopted the National Development Plan (NDP) to eradicate poverty, reduce unemployment and address inequality.
Amongst the things the document talks about is revision of the organisation’s strategy and tactics, widespread corruption, ANC’s hegemony in society and radical economic transformation.
The paper also proposes that the ANC should maintain its dual character as a national liberation movement and a political party, arguing that access to state power and the machinery of the state should be the principal vehicle for changing the lives of the people.
Did you know?
The paper makes the following proposals, amongst others, with regard to:
Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
- That a focused process be set up to coordinate and harmonise policies and incentives, especially those with related to STI.
- That a coordinating mechanism be considered and implemented to improve the use of STI within and across the public sector and as an enabler of service delivery.
Basic Education
- The existing resolution of the ANC on making education an essential service must be reviewed, as it has the potential to derail existing cooperation in the sector.
Higher Education
- That technical and vocational training must be marketed as the first choice leading to attractive career options for the majority of learners ahead of university education.
- That a new financial support model to ensure that academically capable poor, working class and middle strata students are supported to access higher education must be finalised and implemented by 2020.
Health
- The health sector must continuously strengthen measures to improve the quality of care delivered by health practitioners in the public and private sector plus draft a policy to curb high costs of medical insurance and litigation against medical malpractice.
NB Read the full statement under news titled Policy Document.
