ANC: The party needs to act to restore its moral character

The party's Head of Policy, Jeff Radebe says the public discourse and the recent election results have clearly shown that the ANC is increasingly losing the trust of the people. 

Radebe was speaking at the launch of the ANC's Policy Discussion Documents ahead of its policy conference in June/July. 

"The organisation must act urgently to restore its moral character and win back the trust of the people. The policy paper proposes that the ANC should maintain its dual character as a national liberation movement and a political party," Radebe says. 

The list of proposals contained in the ANC's Organisational Renewal Discussion document. 

The Establishment of a Revolutionary Electoral Commission to deal with issues of gatekeeping and manipulation of electoral processes. 

-The paper also proposes that the organization reviews its nomination and electoral processes to allow for open contestation. 

-The paper proposes that the ANC should have a fully automated electronic recruitment and membership management system.  

-The Economic Transformation Discussion Document reiterates the ANC's commitment fundamentally changing the racialized and unequal structure of the South African economy. It acknowledges that South Africa has not made enough progress in reducing unemployment and unemployment and that we need to increase wages and broad-based ownership and control of the economy. The ANC's programme to transform South Africa's society and economy must, therefore, be judged on the extent to which it radically and systematically improves the lives and opportunities of those who are marginalised and excluded.

-The paper proposes a series of measures to ensure that we strengthen radical economic transformation. These measures aim to reduce unemployment and specifically youth unemployment, return the land to our people, increase black ownership and control in the economy, activate small businesses and co-operatives, raise the level of investment, strengthen social justice and conditions for the poor and working class, improve the employment impact of infrastructure projects, reduce inequality and poverty, dismantle monopoly practices and structures, assert South Africa's interests in the global economy, improve integration into the African economy and stimulate inclusive growth. 

The paper puts forward a range of specific proposals to drive radical economic transformation in specific strategic sectors. We highlight a few of these proposals below:

Reducing unemployment and youth unemployment

-A massive increase in youth access to vocational training and apprenticeship programmes in combination with public service youth brigades. 

-Infrastructure programmes and municipal programmes must include set asides for labour-based work programmes. 

Returning the land to our people and supporting land reform.

-Provide greater certainty by codifying the constitutional requirement of 'just and equitable compensation' for the acquisition of land

Activating small businesses and cooperatives

-A targeted programme to assist black entrepreneurs in setting up small businesses and cooperatives

Strengthening social justice and conditions for the poor and working class

-Improvement in the quality of education, health services and public transport

-Better regulation of the private sector so as to avoid price fixing, unfair competition and unfair labour practices

-Stamping out corruption