The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape held a Special Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting on Monday, 26 June 2017, at the ANC Provincial Head Quarters, Canon James Calata House in King Williams Town.
The meeting was convened to get an update on the preparations for the 5th National Policy Conference, and deliberate on the preparations for the Alfred Nzo Regional Conference and the Eastern Cape 8th Provincial Conference.
National Policy Conference:
The Special PEC meeting was held a day after the Eastern Cape Policy Conference which took place on the 25th June 2017 in East London, City Hall. The Conference was held to consolidate the policy proposals of the Province that are meant to enhance Organisational Integrity and Intensify Action towards a National Democratic Society.
This Conference was attended by representatives from all branches of the ANC, key stakeholders, Alliance Partners and formations of the Mass Democratic Movement in the Eastern Cape.
The PEC commended the discipline displayed by the delegates at the Provincial Policy Conference in ensuring that the gathering only focuses on policy discussions.
It further called on all other Provinces and Leagues to ensure that the same is done at the National Policy Conference, and that it should not be used as a platform to measure strength of any of the emerging perspectives towards the 54th National Conference of the ANC in December.
The Eastern Cape has consolidated its policy proposals to the National Policy Conference, and will attend the Conference as a united and solid Province led by the Provincial Chairperson, cadre Phumulo Masaulle. Key amongst the outcomes of the Provincial Policy Conference, the Conference resolved on the following proposals:
Strategy and Tactics and Organisational Renewal and Design
The ANC in the Eastern Cape reaffirmed the Organisation’s long-term objectives of building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and prosperous South Africa, and recommitted to the National Democratic Revolution (NDR), our program to achieve the above strategic objective.
As such, resolved that if we are to meaningfully drive the NDR, the primary task of the movement should focus on rebuilding a strong organisation anchored on the founding values, principles and discipline of the movement that result in the restoration of organisational integrity.
In the characterisation and analysis of the domestic balance of forces, the Conference reaffirmed the understating of monopoly capital as a central threat to the NDR as it is built on the super exploitation of the working class.
The South African working class in the main remains majority black and African. As such the Policy Conference resolved on the need to deracialise ownership and control of the South African economy, in the context of our non-racial struggle.
In light of the eroding democratic principles of the Organisation, as a result of among other things, mounting factionalism, slate politics, and manipulation of organisational processes, the Conference resolved to agree with the proposal of the establishment of a Revolutionary Electoral Commission, and the discussion to have all members of the ANC in good standing to directly elect leadership of the ANC at all levels of the organisation.
On Economic Transformation
The Conference noted that the economy of South Africa does not represent the composition, diversity, and aspirations of the people of the country. The Conference resolved to:
• Adopt an expansionary macro-economic policy where our fiscal and monetary instruments are geared towards economic growth than simply currency stability.
• In the same vein we must implement measures to safeguard South Africa’s sovereignty in matters of economic policy by avoiding over exposure to the global financial markets and also avoid an increased national debt.
• Hasten the establishment of the State Bank through deliberately expanding the capacity of the Post Bank by pushing all state accounts to be hosted by Post Bank beginning with the transfer of the administration of social grants to the post bank.
• Section 25 of the Constitution must be amended to address several limitations that we have encountered in the implementation of our land reform programmes.
On Education
The Conference noted that while the ANC managed to create a single education system, at least in terms of structure, in reality it still mirrors the two-tier education system that was divided along racial lines. It thereby resolved to:
• Reaffirm and call for the speedy implementation of 52nd National Conference resolution on free education for the poor up until the first degree.
• The autonomy of the Universities needs to be revisited by Government, and should consider having institutions of higher learning and training accountable to the legislative arm of the state, similarly to other chapter nine institutions.
• Not support the graduation tax model to fund free education proposed by the NEC in its National Discussion Documents, and propose a progressive model of taxation that enables the wealthy to pay for the poor. Examples of corporate tax should be considered in the funding model.
On Legislature and Governance
The Conference resolved to support the call for the restructuring of Provinces as means to deal with the enduring legacy of apartheid spatial planning which effectively created centres and periphery of development. Moreover, the current configuration of provinces seems to maintain and reinforce tribal divisions of the country.
Alfred Nzo Regional Conference
The ANC in the Alfred Nzo Region is currently preparing to hold its 3rd Regional Elective Conference. The PEC commended the Region for effectively and timeously implementing the decision of the PEC to hold an early conference. The Conference will be held after the National Policy Conference.
Eastern Cape 8th Provincial Conference
The meeting received an update on the preparations for the 8th Provincial Conference of the ANC. This Constitution of the ANC states that a Provincial Conference shall be held at least once every four (4) years, and further receive and consider Reports by the PEC, over and above the election of the PEC.
The PEC in the 7th Provincial Conference was tasked to build unity and cohesion in the Province, and as such the PEC reaffirmed its commitment to deliver a credible Provincial Conference. The Meeting thereby called on all structures of the ANC in the Province to work together and ensure that all what we do is guided by the constitution of the ANC and the Guidelines released for the 8th Provincial Conference.
The PEC also acknowledged that the membership of the ANC in the Province has slightly grown, and will improve after the final membership statistics have been released by the National Audit Team for the 54th National Conference.
Branches are expected to hold the Branch General Meetings (BGMs), and Branch Biennial General Meetings (BBGMs) on the 06th June – 06th August 2017. The Provincial Conference will be constituted by no less than 90% of delegates from branches, and as such the proper constituting of these meetings will be an important aspect on the credibility and Integrity of the Conference.
In line with the decision taken by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC, no amount of ill-discipline in meetings, gatekeeping, membership manipulation, and factionalism will be allowed. RECs, the PEC, and the NEC will closely monitor the processes leading to this Conference and will decisively deal with any conduct that will compromise the integrity and credibility of the Conference.
The 8th EC Provincial Conference will be held on the 30th August – 03rd September 2017, in East London.
This statement must be attributed to the ANC EC Provincial Secretary Oscar Lubabalo Mabuyane.
For more information please contact :
Judy Ngoloyi
ANC EC Acting Communications Officer
Mobile No: 073 117 6194 / 063 687 8267
Email : judy.ngoloyi@gmail.com
