ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has delivered a practical roadmap to rebuild the organisation from the ground up so that it can counter the electoral setback suffered at the May 29 election.
The ANC received 40% of the vote at the national and general elections this year as it lost its majority in Parliament, falling from the 57% of the vote that it won at the 2019 election.
Ramaphosa said despite the electoral setback, the party still commands an outright majority in over 14 000 of the 23 000 voting districts in our country.
The NEC met at the weekend and focused on issues of renewal of the ANC and how it should promote integrity and ethical conduct in the ranks of the ANC.
“The NEC adopted a comprehensive programme of renewal and rebuilding of our organisation that will be rolled out over the next eighteen months.
“At the centre of renewal is the return our organisation to its historical mission of service to the people and our collective quest to build a better life for all South Africans,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the NEC resolved that it will focus on branches, on public representatives and leadership at local, regional, provincial and national level on the ‘immediate tasks of the National Democratic Revolution as set out in our manifesto’.
“Accordingly we must continue the transformation of our country, to create work and opportunity, to end poverty and hunger, and to ensure that all South Africans, men, women and children are able to live in peace and safety.
“During these five years, working with you, we are therefore implementing a jobs plan to put more South Africans to work. We are building our industries, developing our infrastructure and investing in an inclusive economy. We are taking a number of steps to tackle the high cost of living, investing in our people and improving the provision of affordable water and electricity,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the practical roadmap would help rebuild the organisation from the ground up ‘so that we have branches with active members and quality of cadreship to advance the tasks of our revolution’.
“We have always said the strength of the African National Congress lies in its footprint in every ward throughout the length and breadth of our country: in urban areas, in peri-urban areas, towns, villages and rural areas.
“We decided that our renewal programme focus on rebuilding branches to become vibrant and activist branches, with clear programmes of action that address the tasks of the National Democratic Revolution,” Ramaphosa said.
The Mercury