ANC Today --------------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 3, No. 11, 21-27 March 2003 --------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS WEEK: * ANC Programme: Volunteer to push back the frontiers of poverty * National Water Week: The right to clean water * War in the Gulf: Prayers for the people of Iraq --------------------------------------------------------------------- ANC PROGRAMME Volunteer to push back the frontiers of poverty The ANC's programme for 2003 will see branches taking forward the experience of the letsema volunteer campaign by mobilising communities to work in partnership with government to push back the frontiers of poverty. This was the key message emerging from the ANC's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, held last weekend. This programme arises from the decisions of the 51st National Conference held in December last year and the NEC Lekgotla held in January. Drawing on the spirit and practice of last year's letsema campaign - which was launched to mark the ANC's 90th anniversary - the 2003 programme will seek to mobilise all sectors of society in working to encourage job creation and tackle the effects of poverty; expand service delivery; and build safer communities. The programme will support government's plans for the year, which was announced by President Thabo Mbeki in the State of the Nation Address, with local efforts by volunteers to meet the challenges facing society. The letsema campaign will focus on three broad themes over the course of the year, each related to the fight against poverty. Sustainable Livelihoods and Jobs The struggle against poverty requires that we build the economy and create jobs; develop the skills of all South Africans; and alleviate the situation of the poorest through extending the reach and effectiveness of social security. The Growth and Development Summit, due to take place around May, will ask all stakeholders in the economy to each commit themselves to practical steps they can take to accelerate economic growth and job creation. Branches will take responsibility for local economic development in their municipalities. This means active participation at a regional level, close cooperation with local councillors and ongoing interaction with communities on their needs and capacity. It also means that branches should be involved in the development of Integrated Development Plans, which each council is required to draw up. Economic development depends on people being sufficiently educated and skilled. Making schools work is therefore a priority. Branches will also help communities access learnerships. These are on-the-job training opportunities offered both in government and business. Work will be done at a local level to identify and help people access Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) programmes. Government is significantly expanding and intensifying the community-based public works programme, which employs and trains community members in projects to build social infrastructure like roads, clinics, schools, etc. In tackling poverty, government is working to put in place a comprehensive social security system which meets the immediate needs of the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society, including the elderly, disabled and children. This includes expanding the reach of social grants like pensions and child support grants. Over the next three years the maximum age of eligibility for the Child Support Grant will be increased gradually from six to 13 years of age. Expanded service delivery The provision of basic services to all South Africans has been a central programme of the ANC since 1994. As more resources become available, the provision of basic services is being significantly expanded. However, communities cannot be passive in this process. They need to work together with councillors and local and provincial government to ensure the maximum benefit from the provision of these services. Service delivery covers the provision of water and sanitation, electricity, roads, health care, housing, telephones, refuse collection and sporting and recreational facilities. A major drive for the period ahead is the provision of a free basic amount of water and electricity to each household in the country. Already over 70 percent of councils are providing free basic water, and the provision of free basic amount of electricity is being launched. While service delivery takes place across the country, government is implementing the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy in the least developed rural 'nodes' and the Urban Renewal Strategy in urban 'nodes'. In each of these nodes, service delivery departments in all three spheres of government are coordinating their work to meet the most pressing needs of communities. Branches will work to ensure that communities are actively involved in the planning and implementation in each nodal area. Peace and stability Crime and corruption contributes to poverty by creating instability and limiting the resources available for social development. The government cannot tackle these problems alone - the community has to be involved. At a branch level the ANC will lead the campaign to mobilise the community against crime and deal with the causes of crime. This campaign is aimed at strengthening Community Policing Forums (CPFs) to make them effective instruments against crime. Closely linked to the campaign to strengthen CPFs is the campaign to combat violence against women and children, including rape. This violence targets those in society which are among the most vulnerable, and is often committed by people known to the victim. The ANC needs to lead the challenge against attitudes that lead to such violence, unite communities in rejecting violence against women and children, and empower women and children to speak out without fear. Communities must also work together to tackle corruption in the public and private sector, by insisting on transparency and accountability, and reporting any acts of corruption to the relevant authorities. Building the ANC These campaigns will take place alongside the ongoing and related programme of building the branches of the ANC as effective agents of community development and social change. It will focus on the process of membership recruitment and renewal, the induction of new members, and cadre development for all members of the organisation. Through this programme, branches will work with Alliance structures in forging a broad front for transformation in each local area. This broad front will draw together all groups and sectors which can be mobilised to tackle poverty and local transformation. More Information: 51st National Conference Briefing http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mbeki/2003/tm0214.html State of the Nation Address, February 2003 http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mbeki/2003/tm0214.html --------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL WATER WEEK The right to clean water Ongoing efforts to provide clean water to all South Africans demonstrate the commitment of the ANC to realise the 'socio-economic' rights contained in the Constitution, and the many challenges which must be overcome to achieve these rights. It is perhaps appropriate therefore that Human Rights Day, which is celebrated on 21 March, coincides with National Water Week, which runs from 17-23 March. The South African Bill of Rights, which is contained in 1996 Constitution, says that everyone has the right to have access to, among other things, "sufficient food and water". The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, "to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights". In celebrating National Water Week this year, government is trying to highlight the role that water must play in achieving the vision of a prosperous South Africa. The International Year of Freshwater will be launched in South Africa during the week, which coincides with the Third World Water Forum in Japan. With the theme "Water is our future", this year' s celebrations focus on protecting and respecting the country's water resources. It is a call to all people living in South Africa to maintain and improve the quality and quantity of freshwater available for current and future generations. This call to action comes at a time when the availability of clean water is one of the most important issues facing our country - some six million people living in South Africa still do not have access to safe clean water while nearly 16 million are still without adequate sanitation. The continuous pollution of rivers and streams as well as the growing future demands for water calls for all those living in South Africa to re-assess their attitudes to our vital water resources. This comes at a time when the United Nations has indicated that water use in the 20th century has grown at twice the rate of the population. It comes at a time in South Africa when water-borne diseases continue to threaten the health and quality of life for many. Beginning with the Water Week celebrations, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is focusing on moving beyond simply raising awareness to that of focusing on current and future challenges in order to ensure a better quality of life for present and future generations. The increasing demand, pollution, changing climatic patterns as well as the challenge of ensuring that everyone has access to water and sanitation services creates a need for a concerted effort by all to maintain and improve the quality and quantity of water in South Africa. The goal of government for the week and the year is to inspire actions in meeting these challenges. Government, communities, non-governmental organisations, youth groups, business, industry and the media will be playing active roles in highlighting local, regional, national and international issues. This campaign aims at: · working towards eradicating the backlog with regard to water and sanitation services; · ensuring the cleanliness and integrity of our water resources; · ensuring long term sustainability of our water resources; · highlighting the crucial link between water and health with the objective of preventing water- borne diseases; · empowering communities, especially women and children, in managing and improving their living conditions; · ensuring access to water resources for economic development; · developing an aware and responsible South African society. Efforts during the week are not just limited to South Africa. Following the call to make this the African Century, government has focussed considerable attention on addressing the water needs in Africa. It has taken an active role in promoting the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). It will also be monitoring commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WWSD), held in Johannesburg last year, and discussing strategies for implementation. Our participation at the Third World Water Forum is not about presenting papers, it is about sharing our experiences and best practices with the rest of the water world and learning from them. A priority for us will be to promote dialogue and interaction with the numerous participants and in doing so contribute to finding solutions to Africa's and the worlds water problems. Two key national events during this period are the Baswa le Meetse Awards (Youth in Water Awards) and the Women in Water Awards. These awards are part of the ongoing programme of the department to acknowledge the role of women and the youth as well as focus on how water can transform the lives of children and women. The Women in Water Awards highlight and promote the participation of professional and community-based women in water resource management. It also acknowledges the key role that women play in poverty eradication, education and other related issues around resource management and sustainable development in both the urban and rural contexts. The Baswa le Meetse Award will be awarded to learners who produce and convey inspiring educational messages to the public about water and sanitation through theatre and arts. It forms part of the National Water Week activities for the first time this year and it is envisaged that it will be an annual competition. Activities during the week will also focus on increasing the awareness of South Africa's "blueprint for survival", the National Water Resource Strategy which has demonstrated that it is possible to meet the water needs of the increasingly prosperous South Africa which we are building if we use our resources wisely. This strategy will be finalised in June after intensive consultations. More Information: National Water Week, March 2003 http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Events/WaterWeek/2003/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- WAR IN THE GULF Prayers for the people of Iraq On Wednesday evening, barely a day before the United States launched its attack on Iraq, South Africans of all colours and creeds gathered outside the US consulate in Johannesburg to offer their prayers for the people of Iraq, whose tranquil evenings would soon to be shattered by barking dogs of war. Over the last few months, South Africans had joined millions throughout the world in demanding that the Bush administration cease its preparations for war. But, as it became clear that the US was determined to push ahead in the face of a world united for peace, the thoughts of the protesters turned to the imminent victims of this wanton act of unilateral aggression. Lit by the soft light of candles, the gathering of over three hundred included people from all communities of faith. An imam's prayer for peace reverberated from the stark walls of the consulate. Members of the Jewish community read Psalms and Christians of various denominations led prayers and quiet hymns. Interspersed with mournful renditions of the songs of South Africa's long struggle against apartheid, the gathering also heard testimony from brave South African medical students who had recently returned from Iraq. There, they had been touched by the fact that ordinary Iraqis were well aware and highly appreciative of the stand taken by South Africa's people and government in opposing the war. But the students were also chilled by accounts of the horrors of the last Gulf war, and the tales of the children who survived it. The gathering was address by SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande, ANC Youth League President Malusi Gigaba and COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi. All affirmed that, in this time of international turmoil, it is vital that South Africans continue to stand in unity and say 'No to War'. For the sake of the people of Iraq, and the people of the world, the progressive movement in South Africa would remain committed to this course, in the long struggle ahead to demand peace for development, and a world built on democracy. A candle for peace was lit outside the consulate and will continue to burn for the duration of America's war. --------------------------------------------------------------------- This issue of ANC Today is available from the ANC web site at: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/2003/at11.htm To receive ANC Today free of charge by e-mail each week go to: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/subscribe.html To unsubscribe yourself from the ANC Today mailing list go to: http://lists.anc.org.za/mailman/listinfo/anctoday