21 March 2009
The incoming ANC government will set up a special unit to monitor the performance of cabinet ministers and other senior government officials, ANC President Jacob Zuma said today (21 March 2009).
Addressing thousands of ANC supporters during a Human Rights Day celebration in Langa, Cape Town, Zuma said the unit, which will be located in the Presidency, will help identify those public office bearers not performing to required standards.
"We will ensure that people who do not perform are immediately removed. All ANC members in the 2009 party list have been warned that they will be removed if they fail to perform to satisfactory levels," he said.
Amid loud applause and cheering from the masses, Zuma said government officials who underperformed were denying citizens their human rights as spelled out in the Freedom Charter.
"There were many South Africans who sacrificed their lives to ensure that all citizens enjoyed equal rights.
"These heroes and heroines put their lives on the line to ensure that all South Africans amongst other things, enjoy the right to education, the right to work and the right to economic opportunities," he said.
"It is therefore unacceptable that 15 years after democracy, many South Africans were still being denied these rights because of corruption and incompetence.
"The ANC, whose central demand during the liberation struggle was equal rights to all, cannot fold its arms when these very rights where now being undermined by corrupt and incompetent government officials.
"When the ANC embarked on protest action, including the anti-pass campaign of 1952, the organisation was highlighting the plight of those who were being denied rights, particularly black people."
Zuma, who was accompanied by NEC members Trevor Manuel, Nomvula Mokonyane and Blade Nzimande, told the crowd it was vital for the ANC to be returned to power in the coming elections so that the ruling party conclude its mission of empowering all South Africans.
"When we say we want to empower our peole, we are not talking about only business opportunities - we are also talking about empowering people through education and employment," he said.
There was no point in voting for opposition parties as none of them could win the elections.
"Even opposition parties themselves admit that all they want to achieve was to reduce the ANC's majority - not to win the election.
"If you vote for them it means you will be wasting your vote - vote for the party that will be in government after the elections - the ANC."
On the issue of human rights across the African continent, Zuma called for the formation of a civil society movement to deal with the issue of human rights abuses in the continent.
He said the fact that millions of Africans were seeking refugee status in South Africa was proof that there was a huge human rights issue in the continent.
"We should form a civil movement to defend their rights."
Issued by:
African National Congress
More information:
Moloto Mothapo: 082 370 6930