We, the 1500 delegates gathered at the African National Congress (ANC) Eastern Cape 9th Provincial Conference at the East London International Convention Centre in Buffalo City Metro . We gathered under the theme “The Year of Unity and Renewal to Defend and Advance South Africa’s Gains”.
The ANC Eastern Cape 9th Provincial Conference was attended by delegates drawn from more than 600 branches representing 130253 members in the province, Provincial Task Team, ANC Veterans League, ANC Youth League, ANC Women’s League, NEC Deployees and the invited guests from various stakeholders and Mass Democratic Movement . The 9th Provincial Conference plenary observed a moment of silence paying tribute to the fallen members of the African National Congress and the entire Congress Movement. The Conference paid tribute to the PEBCO Three, Sipho Hashe, Champion Galela, and Qaqawuli Godolozi who on 05th May 1985 were brutally murdered by the cruel apartheid regime and in their memory recommitted that as long as ANC lives it will continue to restlessly pursue their aspirations and values.
The ANC Eastern Cape 9th Provincial Conference was addressed by the ANC National Chairperson, Comrade Gwede Mantashe and received a closing address from the ANC President, Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa.
The conference also received messages of support from our revolutionary Alliance partners, SANCO, COSATU and the SACP.
The conference considered and adopted the Political, Organisational and Financial Reports of the Provincial Task Team.
The PTT reports served as the guide in the conference plenary discussion with thorough – going assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation.
The conference adopted the ANC National Executive Committee discussion paper on renewal of the movement. The conference mandated the newly elected Provincial Executive Committee to develop a programme of taking the NEC discussion paper on renewal to the lower organs of the ANC.
The Provincial Conference affirmed that the strategic objective of National Democratic Revolution(NDR) is to build a non-racial, non-sexist, united, democratic, and prosperous South Africa. Achieving this strategic objective requires a thoroughgoing radical economic transformation to build an inclusive economy that creates jobs, prosperity, and equity in our society.
As such the ANC and the entire Mass Democratic Movement needs to take bold and revolutionary decisions to take the economy back to a high-growth, and job-creating trajectory, using all the levers of the public and the private sector, and working in partnership with other critical economic players.
ON RENEWAL AND ORGANISATIONAL REDESIGN :
The Provincial Conference confirmed that the ANC has long admitted the need to renew and develop a different course of action and therefore the need to renew is not something “new” to an extent that the challenges confronting the ANC poses an existential crisis to the very same ANC.
The 9th Provincial Conference commended the work done since the 8th Provincial Conference in uniting the members of the ANC in the province.
The ANC in the province will within this year convene regional workshops on Renewal of the ANC. The aim of these regional workshops shall be to take the program of renewal to lower organs of the ANC.
The ANC will take steps in ensuring functionality and better relations of the revolutionary alliance across all levels; this will be done through convening of Regional Alliance Political Councils.
As part of renewing the movement and the country, the step aside rule will be implemented at all levels without any fear or favour.
The Provincial Executive Committee should urgently develop a matrix for performance assessment of all elected leaders and public representatives, this is to ensure that there is accountability.
The Conference noted that the battle of ideas is one of the most contested terrains of struggle and key centres of power, as such there is a need for alternative communication and media, capacity and content and the important objectives of regulating local content, being the development of a national culture.
ON BUILDING A CAPABLE & DEVELOPMENTAL STATE
The conference noted the commendable progress with the implementation of the District Development Model (DDM), One Budget One Plan. However, more effort must be championed by the Office of the Premier to ensure that these plans are sustainable, spatially referenced, resourced and truly integrative.
Lifestyle audits in the public sector must be urgently implemented and it must prioritise EXCO Members, MPLs, Municipal Troika’s and Mayoral Committees, Municipal Managers, Heads of Departments and other strategic officials such as CFOs and SCM practioners. All employees identified as trading with state to be deregistered and further be subjected to a disciplinary process.
As part of renewal, the Conference supports that all ANC members who are formally charged with corruption and other serious charges must immediately step aside from all leadership positions in the ANC, legislatures or other government structures pending the finalisation of their matters, as such all spheres of government must develop mechanism to implement this resolve.
The Conference noted that there is a need to review the local government funding model and the amendment of the White Paper on local government to ensure that there is greater funding directed to municipalities. The equitable share need to be reformulated with municipalities as the major developmental wing of government and as such should receive a greater share of the equitable share.
The Conference further noted the proposal to reduce the provinces in the number which must be determined by taking into account the most appropriate modality which will best serve the people of the country and the province.
ON ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING :
The conference noted that the provincial economy is still reeling from the effects of COVID-19-induced economic shutdowns. The agenda for economic transformation is facing challenges on multi-fronts given the challenging macroeconomic environment, and global geopolitics. Going forward, focus must be on the following economic transformation priorities:-
Job creation and retention
Youth development
Covid-19 economic growth and recovery Investment Drive
Enterprise Support and Development; Support for cooperatives
Building social compacts
Support for catalytic and infrastructure projects.
Further that there must be concerted interventions to address water challenges across the province, through water desalination program and put in place mitigation measures against the effects of climate change.
Conference underlined the need to unlock the provincial potential on Cannabis by ensuring effective budget allocation and expenditure on concrete industry projects and fastrack the implementation of the Small Town Revitalisation programme to stem the decline and delipidating conditions of our small towns.
To put the provincial economy on a higher growth trajectory the province will prioritise infrastructure investment in the province particularly on the eastern part of the province and take advantage of the Eastern Cape Energy Potential by: Exploring the coastline oil deposits & Gas and potential Nuclear in Thyspunt.
Further as a way of supporting economic recovery the IR and Economic Transformation subcommittees must foster closer working relations with the aim of building a framework for subnational economic diplomacy. IR Subcommittee to set up dedicated Task Teams looking into international 4IR adoption strategies for the province as a way of repositioning the economy:
ON EDUCATION, HEALTH AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION :
To re-imagine education for the 21st century key elements include but not limited:
• Value-based education that embraces new values in relation to the 21st century.
• Teacher development should shift towards the production of the 21st century teaching cadre.
• An education system must prioritise skills that promote problem solving skills, computational thinking, multi-disciplinary skills and systems thinking.
• Digital transformation of the entire education system as an enabler for transformation.
The Conference declares that all deserving learners must be provided with Leaner support material and scholar transport and all other critical support for every learner regardless of the race, class or creed to realise their full potential.
As part of ensuring that health becomes a driver of building the health profile of the citizens of the province, the Conference resolved to improve access to public health information that empowers citizens and their communities for healthy lifestyle.
Strengthen redress on access to basic services, water, sanitation, electricity and access roads.
Influence different institutions of society towards addressing these aspects and food security at household level as a building block to healthy lifestyles.
Enhance measures for service delivery improvement towards realization of accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare.
Facilitate a balance between the implementation of Coronavirus health response and the delivery of health services reduction of disease burden with a focus on – :
(HIV/AIDS, STIs & Tuberculosis) programmes
Child mortality and maternal mortality Non-Communicable diseases
Health promotions programmes including cancer awareness.
ON FIGHTING GBV & FEMICIDE :
The conference resolved for the ANC and its government to accelerate efforts towards victim empowerment, gender-based violence and substance abuse and work with strategic partners towards delivery of services aimed at combating GBV and Femicide.
The Conference also noted the rising levels of homophobia and hate crimes and as such there is a need for the ANC to join and champion the struggles of the LGBQTI+ community.
CONCLUSION :
The Provincial Conference mandated the elected leadership to unite the ANC and the people of the province and for the leadership to wholeheartedly serve the people of the province.
The conference commended the discipline and maturity of the delegates in how they handled the political contestation, this was a sign of significant progress from the challenges of the 8th Provincial Conference in 2017.
The Conference is alive to the fact that the people of the Eastern Cape continue to be confronted with stubbornly high levels of poverty, unemployment, and inequality and their beacon of hope and vehicle to a better life is ANC, therefore the Provincial Conference committed the ANC to live up to its revolutionary task.
The conference declared that we are indeed on a journey of unity and renewal to defend and advance South Africa’s democratic gains.
The struggle continues!
Matla!
Ke rona!
The ANC lives.
The ANC leads.
Ends……
ISSUED BY THE PROVINCIAL SECRETARY OF THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, CDE LULAMA NGCUKAYITOBI
Enquiries :
Cde Gift Ngqondi
Provincial Head of Communications
Mobile No : ?0849519924?/?0848439706
