- The ANC celebrated its annual birthday in the Free State on Sunday.
- Party leader Cyril Ramaphosa made a statement on 8 January outlining what the ANC should focus on in the coming year; load disconnection, crime, service provision and corruption.
- Ramaphosa said the party had to find solutions to the energy crisis as, along with many problems, it was hampering the ANC’s public image.
ANC Chairman Cyril Ramaphosa said de-burdening, crime and corruption were damaging the party’s public image and should be addressed head-on in his 2023 priorities.
Ramaphosa spoke at the party’s birthday celebrations on January 8 in Bloemfontein, the Free State, on Sunday. The speech provides the stage on which the ANC and its government constituencies must focus in the political year ahead.
Thousands of ANC supporters, mostly dressed in party-branded yellow shirts, packed the stadium awaiting Ramaphosa’s speech.
The president said the party had seven priorities, the most important being tackling the energy crisis to end load disconnection, improve service delivery and fight crime and corruption.
Ramaphosa told a packed stadium at the Dr. Petrus Molemela Stadium that the ANC had to find urgent solutions to the ongoing burden reduction that continued to affect economic growth.
He added that the government and Eskom should work to ensure the return of additional units at Pemex to clamp down on power outages. Other cushions should be the further implementation of the government’s plan to obtain other forms of energy besides coal.
“The board needs to recruit world-class professionals to fill the vacancies in executive management.
“To further reduce stress on the grid, the government and Eskom must enforce demand management measures to reduce electricity consumption and ensure availability of priority energy areas and sectors, including health, education and infrastructure,” Ramaphosa said.
Another concern was crime and corruption, which continue to be associated in some cases with ANC members.
Ramaphosa said the ANC would continue to strengthen law enforcement agencies, saying a weak security group often led to ongoing violence and lawlessness.
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He added that an increase in workplace staffing in the police would go a long way toward meeting the safety needs of the community.
The problem of not having enough police officers has been documented in parliamentary oversight work, with quarterly crime statistics showing the impact of the gap.
Ramafosa said:
Urgent steps must be taken to rebuild the capacity of law enforcement agencies and other institutions that have been weakened by state capture and corruption.
Another area of focus for him was local government, especially the poor service delivery seen at this level.
The ANC event was held in Mangaung Township, which has a history of poor service delivery.
Ramaphosa mentioned in his speech the screams he heard during his visit.
He said that one of the solutions was for the ANC to continue with its objective of professionalizing the public service.
“Local government has a fundamental role in rebuilding local communities as the basis for an integrated development state.
“The collapse of many municipalities has had a devastating impact on citizens who must deal daily with sewage spills, water shortages, uncollected garbage, countless potholes and inaccurate billing,” added Ramaphosa.
The fact that the ANC faces a difficult national election in 2024 was not lost on the president, but he said there was no doubt that the ANC was a party for the nation.
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Ramaphosa also put the ANC renewal project on the party’s list of priorities.
He again pointed to the ANC conference where he was elected to a second term as proof of the party’s determination to renew itself.
“The conference showed that the unity and renewal of the ANC is now unstoppable. We are looking forward, not back. Let’s move forward and make sure the ANC is renewed and united,” Ramaphosa said.
