ANC Today --------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 2, No. 29, 19 - 25 July 2002 --------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK: * Letter from the President: A congress of cadres united in action for change * Economic Report on Africa: Progress review makes case for 'afro-optimism' * SACP Congress: Party meets to consolidate and deepen transformation --------------------------------------------------------------------- LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT A congress of cadres united in action for change Last week the National Executive Committee of the ANC met to consider various matters relating to the 51st National Conference, which will be held in December. In this regard, the NEC had to examine the policy decisions adopted at the 50th National Conference in 1997 and the 2000 National General Council. The purpose of this work was to make an assessment as to whether these policy positions required a fundamental review or whether they remain correct and valid. This exercise also enabled the National Executive Committee (NEC) to make a determination concerning the work that had been done to implement these policies and thus begin the outline of the programme of action required further to advance to the goals set in the policy decisions. The NEC took the view that the essential pillars of our policy as decided by the 1997 and 2000 conferences remain valid and correct. It also agreed that there may be a few areas that might require some new policy initiatives. Nevertheless, these would not alter the direction set by these previous conferences. However, the NEC also took the view that we must continue with our preparations to hold a Policy Conference before the National Conference. Through our branches, the membership has therefore been asked to make its own determination concerning these important matters relating to policy. Delegates representing the views of this membership will therefore gather at the Policy Conference to effect such changes as may be thought necessary. An important feature of the ANC over time has been the stability of its policy positions. This derives from an unswerving commitment to the vision of a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa. Whatever the detail in the policy, the orientation has remained the same -the creation of this kind of South Africa. Accordingly, at all times the ANC has avoided any opportunism and populism, whatever the circumstances. It has also resisted all attempts to deny it its right to make its own decisions. Both during the period of extreme repression and in the context of the ideological and political struggle to determine the future of our country, the ANC has kept to its fundamental tenets. At the heart of these is the commitment to achieve people-centred development and build a caring society. The policies adopted by the 1997 and 2000 conferences are focused on the achievement of these goals. To this end, they aim at the eradication of the legacy of colonialism and racism. Necessarily, therefore, they are focused on ending the gender, racial and geographic imbalances that continue to characterise our country. They are directed at ensuring that we end the poverty and underdevelopment of the majority of our people imposed on us by centuries of national oppression and exploitation. Obviously, this covers many areas of human activity, both social and economic. Our existing policies are also aimed at ensuring that we build a society that enables all our citizens to develop themselves to the full and to exercise their right to human dignity. This entails not only freedom from want. It also includes the critical right of the citizen to safety and security and the inviolability of every person. It also includes access to knowledge, to banish ignorance, and freedom to enjoy one's culture and language and to develop one's identity. Through the decades, the ANC has sustained the vision of African unity, convinced that the peoples of our continent share a common destiny and that they need to combine their efforts and resources to achieve Africa's renaissance. We have been committed to the view that Africa must play her rightful role in global affairs, no longer marginalized and despised. The positions she takes must also help further to intensify the global offensive for the defeat of racism and xenophobia. The objectives we have set ourselves, for the fundamental renewal of both our country and continent, will not be realised overnight. All of us are familiar with the reality of the deeply entrenched legacy of the past both within South Africa and the rest of our continent. We are therefore aware that it will take us time to achieve the goals that we seek. It is because of this that the need does not arise to review policy everyday, provided, of course, that such policies prove to be correct in practice. The basic reality we face is that the legacy we have sought to remove and the new society we are struggling to create are positive achievements that are still ahead of us. The policies we have put in place correctly express our determination to reach these goals. They must therefore remain in force until such time that the change in the circumstances they seek to address demands that they should themselves be changed. The work to elaborate concrete policies for a free South Africa, on the basis of the Freedom Charter, began already in the mid-1980s. The outcome of this protracted and detailed work has resulted in the many policies governing our country as it goes through the process of reconstruction and development. These include our national constitution and the many pieces of legislation that provide the legal basis and framework for the implementation of our transformation programme. It is therefore clear that we do have a strong and comprehensive lawful programme for change, based on the policies we have elaborated over a considerable period of time. The challenge ahead of us is to ensure that these policies succeed to create the kind of South Africa our people expect and which we intend to build. One of the themes of our 51st National Conference is - People's Power in Action! Through struggle, today we have an entrenched democracy in our country. At all levels, the governments in place are governments freely chosen by the masses of our people. Continuously we are making all efforts to organise and mobilise our people so that they participate in the process of governance, within the three spheres of government. We want the vision realised as comprehensively, that the people shall govern! Given that we have now established the firm policy base we need to guide the transformation process, and given that we also have the democratic instruments and institutions to implement these policies, it is correct that our 51st National Conference should indeed position itself as a conference dedicated to the objective of action to speed up change. Less than eighteen months after we hold this conference, our country will celebrate its 10th anniversary of liberation. When this important moment comes, we must be able to measure in quantifiable ways the progress we have made during the first decade of liberation. This last lap to that anniversary should also inspire us to ensure that we use People's Power in Action more effectively further to advance quicker towards the goals of a better life for all and a truly transformed South Africa. The 51st National Conference of our movement must therefore be a Congress of Fighters for Change. Its place in our history must be defined as the critical point at which, having produced the design of the new South Africa, the people's movement turned all its focus to the task of ensuring the speedy construction of our country according to that design. This requires that we ourselves, as members of the ANC, go back to the decisions we took at the Port Elizabeth National General Council (NGC) in 2000. At that NGC, we made the commitment that we would transform ourselves into new cadres dedicated to serve the people for accelerated change. The moment is upon us that we deploy ourselves as such cadres to bring about the faster change that the masses of our people are calling for. Accordingly, our National Conference will not be a place for those who have joined our movement to gain positions, access resources and otherwise serve only their personal interests. As usual, the Conference will carry out its work of choosing the leadership of the ANC as it sees fit, from the President to the other members of the National Executive Committee. But is will be the responsibility of the genuine cadres of our movement to ensure that the Conference is not diverted from the duty it owes to the masses of our people, to set the pace for the accelerated social transformation of our country. The 51st National Conference must therefore be a Congress of New Cadres United in Action for Change. It must address the question thoroughly and accurately - what must we do as these new cadres, to ensure that we accelerate the processes towards a better life for all our people. Yet another theme of our Conference is - Phambili mavolontiya! The new cadre must, indeed, be a volunteer ready to work selflessly for the cause of the people. The genuine cadres of our movement will surely distinguish themselves as they have been doing during the year of the 90th anniversary of the ANC, the Year of the Volunteer. Thus, by the end of our Conference, these volunteers who constitute the very backbone of our movement, must have a clear view of what their tasks are as they directly engage the challenge for accelerated change. The theme People's Power in Action requires that we ensure that we focus this people's power more aggressively on the same matter of speeding up the advance towards the eradication of the apartheid legacy and the construction of a new society. Thanks to our support and the confidence the masses have in our movement, the ANC is the dominant political force in all three spheres of government. This puts a particular responsibility on us to ensure that the government structures we lead, both executive and administrative, carry out the responsibility with which they are charged. This is the task of ensuring the speedy and effective implementation of the policies and programmes that we have put in place. We know that many structures of government continue to show many weaknesses. We have to intervene to ensure that these are corrected. We must work to encourage the local governments to work efficiently, to communicate with the people and to root out the corrupt elements at this level of government, who use many methods to enrich themselves. Some provinces are persistently showing unacceptable levels of performance with regard to service delivery and the encouragement of social and economic development. Urgent steps will have to be taken to ensure that these deficiencies are addressed. Again, this will require the sustained attention of the genuine cadres of our movement. At the national level as well, we must pay attention especially to improved integrated planning and execution, the speedy implementation of development programmes and the proper and full use of all allocated resources, for the benefit of the people. Even as we work at home for change, so must we sustain our effort to contribute to the speedy renewal of our continent, living up to the expectations of the African masses and the responsibilities that have been given to our country. We must respond correctly to yet another theme of our National Conference - Afrika ke nako! As the branches do their work to prepare for the Policy Conference, they have to reflect on the matters we have raised, bearing in mind that the principal task ahead of us is to achieve further advances with our people, to the 10th anniversary of freedom and beyond! Thabo Mbeki --------------------------------------------------------------------- ECONOMIC REPORT ON AFRICA Progress review makes case for 'afro-optimism' A report on Africa's economic performance in 2001, released this week by the UN Economic Commission for Africa, underlines the necessity and relevance of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). While Africa grew faster than any other developing region last year, the 'Economic Report on Africa 2002' notes that Africa's growth rate is not currently enough for it to meet its development targets. Africa achieved an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of more than 4 percent, which reflects "better macro-economic management, strong agricultural production, and the cessation of conflict in several countries". Though economic growth is fragile, the report says there are many reasons for "cautious optimism" about Africa's medium-term prospects. These included the formation of the African Union, the adoption of NEPAD, the launch of the Doha Development Round of trade negotiations, and the US African Growth and Opportunity Act. Echoing some of the main aims and initiatives of NEPAD, the report notes that Africa's future depends on how it addresses economic and political governance, resolves civil conflicts, and responds to the need for deeper economic and social reforms. Adopted by the African Union at its inaugural summit earlier this month as the continent's programme for economic revival and social development, NEPAD introduces the African Peer Review Mechanism to encourage good political and economic governance on the continent. NEPAD also includes initiatives on peace and security, democracy and human rights, infrastructure development, human resource development, increasing investment and aid, and improving market access for African economies. Contrary to predictions following the September 11 attacks that economic growth would stagnate in Africa, the global slowdown had less of an impact on the continent than expected. Commodity prices, which have a big impact on African economies, recovered slightly in 2000 after dropping sharply in 1998-99. However, they have not recovered to 1996-7 levels. This highlights the need for African countries to move away from their dependence on the export of raw materials. To ensure greater economic stability and sustained growth, NEPAD encourages Africa to diversify its products and develop its manufacturing and agricultural processing capacity. In this way, the continent will be able to extract greater value from its natural resources and will be able to export 'value-added' products. Several of Africa's emerging markets experienced a sharp increase in private capital flows: "Unlike emerging markets in other regions, those in Africa -Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia - were not hurt by the September 11 attacks." Between 2000 and 2001 net private flows to these countries almost doubled. This gain must however be measured against a massive drop over the last 30 years in Africa's share of foreign direct investment (FDI) in developing countries, from 25 percent in the early 1970s to five percent in 2000. In fact, much of the continent's FDI comes from South Africa. "Since 1994 South African FDI in other African countries has averaged $1 billion a year," the report says. Foreign aid is similarly low and volatile, having dropped by almost half over the last decade. It is to address this lack of investment and aid that NEPAD aims to more effectively mobilise resources from within and outside Africa. It is therefore introducing initiatives to lower Africa's debt burden and improve levels of domestic savings. Countries participating in NEPAD will engage with countries of the developed world to increase levels of aid and streamline the system of aid delivery and monitoring. Efforts will also be made to change investor perceptions of Africa as "high risk", make better use of public-private partnerships and strengthen African financial markets. The report says that Africa's immediate economic prospects will be affected by the global economic slowdown, particularly as it affects South Africa as the continent's largest economy. "But South Africa's outlook for 2002 is positive, because strong economic fundamentals and a stable macroeconomic environment should allow continued robust expansion of the medium term," it says. Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia, which account for a quarter of Africa's GDP, are predicted by the report to provide the greatest potential benefits for Africa in 2002. The report does however note that there are wide disparities between countries, as well as differences in economic performance over the last year. By comparing a number of case studies - South Africa with Zimbabwe, Ethiopia with Kenya, Guinea with Nigeria - the report tries to identify those factors and policy choices which encourage economic growth and development. It emphasises building human capital, promoting good governance, sound economic management, political stability, and integration into global markets. The report notes that a key part of fostering economic well-being in African countries is having a clear idea of how individual countries are performing - which is the main reason for producing the report. Such studies of progress in Africa will be strengthened by the introduction of the African Peer Review Mechanism which will "strengthen African ownership by allowing credible assessments of economic and corporate governance in African countries by Africans". In short, Africa is calling out for NEPAD. MORE INFORMATION: Economic Report on Africa 2002 http://www.uneca.org/era2002/index.htm New Partnership for Africa's Development http://www.africainitiative.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- SACP CONGRESS Party meets to consolidate and deepen transformation The South African Communist Party is holding its 11th Congress - its biggest-ever - in Rustenburg in the North West province next week. The 81-year-old SACP will be meeting to evaluate progress since its last congress in 1998 and adopt a new political programme. The SACP is a member of the Tripartite Alliance together with the ANC and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). The alliance is founded on the common objectives of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and united South Africa, and is committed to uniting the largest possible cross-section of South Africans behind these objectives. This Alliance is built on a special relationship that has existed between the ANC, a national liberation movement, and the SACP, a party of socialism, over decades of struggle. Though separate organisations with distinct political platforms and policies, the ANC and SACP share a common programme in the form of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR). Together with the progressive trade union movement, the ANC and SACP continue to work together to unite a broad spectrum of classes and strata beyond this programme. At a Summit in April this year, the national leadership of the three organisations - together with the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) - reiterated the central qualities of the Alliance: "Unity, a sense of common purpose, the depth of understanding of our historical mission, activism, loyalty to the people - especially the poor - and commitment to international solidarity and joint action are some of the critical attributes that have placed the Alliance at the head of the forces of change in our country." "We are duty-bound by the realities of our history, the yearning of our people for a better life and the confidence that they have placed in the ANC and other components of the Alliance to ensure that these qualities continue to characterise the relationship among ourselves and our interaction with the motive forces of change, and with society at large." Based on this understanding of the historical mission of the Alliance, SACP members are encouraged to be members of the ANC. This 'dual' membership has served over the years to strengthen the Alliance and the organisational capacity and culture of the component organisations. While a strength, the issue of overlapping membership and multiple mandates is not without its difficulties and contradictions, particularly as the Alliance grapples with the challenges of the post-apartheid era. However, the Alliance Summit agreed that none of these challenges "pose insuperable problems to the effective management and consolidation of the Alliance". The Congress presents an important opportunity for the SACP to grapple with the challenges facing the Alliance inside and outside government in this phase of the NDR. In preparation for these discussion, the SACP has developed a draft political programme which has been discussed within the 337 branches, 40 districts and 9 provinces of the party. The programme includes chapters on the NDR, a progressive Growth and Development Strategy, the international context, the political and ideological terrain in the national liberation movement and taking forward the struggle for socialism. The congress will consist of nearly 900 delegates from SACP branches, districts and provinces, the 35 members of the SACP Central Committee, delegates of the ANC, COSATU, SANCO and other mass organisations, as well as special and international guests. MORE INFORMATION: SACP 11th Congress documents http://www.sacp.org.za/docs/11thcongress/index.html 'An Alliance forged in action', ANC Today Vol 1 No 27 http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/2001/at27.htm#art2 --------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of ANC Today is available from the ANC web site at: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/2002/at29.htm To receive ANC Today free of charge by e-mail each week go to: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/subscribe.html