Growing the economy, rolling out infrastructure, fighting against gender-based violence and equipping South Africans with relevant skills have dominated the African National Congress (ANC) 2019 election manifesto, which was launched at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Watch the ANC manifesto launch below:
The launch coincided with the party’s 107th anniversary celebrations. Thousands of people packed the stadium to listen to ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa unveiling the ANC’s election plan
“At the centre of our manifesto, is really a plan to create many more jobs and ensure that all workers can earn a decent living. We live in a country, by the broader definition, where over nine-million South Africans are unemployed. Out of every ten young South Africans, four are neither in employment nor educational training.”
Ramaphosa said the fight against gender-based violence was also a priority. “Siza kuthi thuma mina to end gender-based violence. We are taking as the men of South Africa an important step to begin the process of addressing this national crisis, and making sure that gender-based violence becomes history in our country.”
There have been mixed reactions to the manifesto statement.
Alliance partners say the statement gives hope to the public. The South African Communist Party’s (SACP) First deputy General-secretary, Solly Mapaila, says Ramaphosa’s statement is a true reflection of South Africa’s challenges.
“There’s a focus in the manifesto about developing a capable state that is appropriate, even in terms of governing, a capable development state is the language that is used, so that means there’s gonna be a massive coherence of government systems.”
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Zungiswa Losi says existing jobs must be protected and new opportunities created.
Cosatu, at its congress last year, took a decision to support the ANC in the upcoming elections.
Losi said, “As the workers of South Africa, we have no other party that we can rely on but we appeal to the ANC to use state power to empower the poorest of the poor.”
Meanwhile, supporters say they want action: ” One of the things that we as a nation are concerned about is the unemployment situation in our country and how they are going to take strategic action to make sure that our graduates are not unemployed and finding better ways to develop entreprenuers.”
Read the ANC 2019 election manifesto:
ANC Manifesto Booklet A5 Digital (Text)
