Business Day
*Zuma hits out at critics of 'second transition' document* *Natasha Marrian, Business Day, Johannesburg, 25 June 2012 *PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma yesterday took on his detractors and critics of the "second transition", challenging them to propose a better plan to tackle poverty, inequality and unemployment.
The "second transition", the African National Congress's (ANC's) strategy and tactics document to be discussed at its policy conference starting tomorrow, has become a proxy for the leadership battle ahead of its elective conference in Mangaung in December, with those opposing a second term for Mr Zuma appearing to be more sceptical of the contents of the document.
It describes the first transition as the attainment of political freedom and calls for a move to a second transition emphasising economic and social transformation, aimed at addressing unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe , who is seen as a challenger for the ANC throne in December, tore apart the document during a lecture earlier this month, questioning its motives. He said it was "packed with Marxist jargon" and urged the party to focus on renewing itself and on self-reflection to examine whether it had been successful in implementing its own resolutions.
Mr Zuma stepped up his defence of the document, saying ANC policy documents were subjected to a "very thorough methodical system" of preparation, with discussions about them among the party's top leaders, in the national working committee and the national executive committee (NEC). Only after scrutiny by the party's top brass were they dispatched to branches for discussion, Mr Zuma said.
"Comrades at leadership level in particular had an opportunity to see them, not once, many times. In fact, the NEC discussed this document three times, so it is inconceivable that a member of the NEC says he's not aware of these," he said during the closing address at the ANC's Free State conference in Parys.
He indicated he was ready to take on critics of the document.Mr Zuma also spoke out against those in the ANC Youth League who insulted party leaders, saying "only those who don't have the ANC in their blood would do so".
The Mangaung conference had to "reaffirm" the party as a "disciplined force of the left with a bias toward the poor and the working class". Mr Zuma said the party's "character" may have been "diluted" by the compromises made in 1994 --- which was natural since democracy was attained through a negotiated settlement with sunset clauses.
"We had to negotiate and many of the programmes that are going on are programmes born out of a negotiated settlement. There were sunset clauses (in the constitution), there were no sunrise clauses, the time has come that we must have a second transition so that we can address the legacy of apartheid."
Initial drafts of the strategy document contained changes to the constitution in order to accomplish the required economic and social change. A watered-down version was made public.
"We have got to do what is our task to change the quality of our people's lives and come with programmes that will do so," Mr Zuma said.
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