While African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the ANC’s sixth national policy conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg, as a success, however, several analysts say the macroeconomic policy was not covered and more could have been done to build trust.
More than 2 000 delegates from across the country attended the ANC’s three-day policy conference. The sixth ANC National Policy Conference saw robust deliberations and discussions on the path government should embark on.
One of the contentious issues was the so-called “step aside” resolution regarding those who have been charged with serious crimes, including fraud and corruption. The conference retained the step aside resolution that was adopted at the 2017 National Conference.
The rule has been met with pushback in recent weeks – with party members in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, calling for it to be scrapped. The ANC in Limpopo says the resolution needs to be reviewed.
In his closing address to the Policy Conference in Nasrec south of Johannesburg, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa outlined the position reached by the delegates.
“The overwhelming view of the policy conference is the retention of the step aside provisions to enhance the integrity of the movement and its leadership. Conference also noted that there are strong concerns on the perceived lack of consistency in the application and implementation of this policy, conference agreed that that must receive urgent attention so that the application of the guidelines is impartial, fair, and consistent.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s closing remarks at the ANC policy conference:
Step aside policy
Some ANC leaders and members have criticised the implementation of the step aside resolution, claiming it is selective. But, political analyst Doctor Fikile Vilakazi says there is a lot to learn from those who have a different view on the matter.
“The ANC is on its knees, it is at its weakest point. Nobody ever thought that since 1994, come 2022, the ANC would be where it is because there was this taking for granted that there would always have a black majority regardless of what happens, but I think they failed to do the work of sustaining trust which emerged from the liberation struggle. If they going to scrap the step aside policy, that is just the end, they must forget about 2024, plain and simple as that.”
Macroeconomic policy
Economist Duma Gqubule says it is problematic that the ANC does not discuss macroeconomic policy. Delegates at the conference have proposed that the Reserve Bank’s mandate be moved beyond inflation targeting to include tackling unemployment.
Gqubule says there is an argument to be made for the Reserve Bank to have a triple mandate targeting economic growth, employment, as well as inflation.
“The problem with all ANC conferences is that they don’t discuss macroeconomic policy, and there is no internal democracy that requires this discussion. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality are macroeconomic policy issues. In 2012, the National Development Plan, set a target of 5.4% GDP growth, and 11 million jobs to be created by 2013, but the treasury focuses on debt, the reserve bank focuses on inflation, and it is nobody’s responsibility to meet those targets.”
It is now up to the 55th ANC National Elective Conference, set to take place in December this year – to make sure that these proposed policies are endorsed and implemented at the government level.
