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Cape Town, Western Cape, 10 January 2015 Executive Summary of the Statement of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress Delivered by President Jacob Zuma On the Occasion of the 103rd Anniversary of the ANC Comrades, Compatriots and friends from Africa and the world, Molweni, goeie dag! We are celebrating 103 years of the existence of the African National Congress today. The vision of the founding mothers and fathers of our movement was confirmed by the people of South Africa, through the Freedom Charter that was adopted at the Congress of the People in Kliptown, 60 years ago. Kulonyaka sigubha ngentshukumo nentokozo, iminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha selokhu kwalotshwa usomqulu wenkululeko, iFreedom Charter. In this 103rd year of our formation, we also commemorate other notable anniversaries: . The fifty-fifth Anniversary of the Sharpeville Massacre. . Thirty years since the ANC's Kabwe Conference in Zambia where the membership of the National Executive Committee was opened to all races. . Thirty years since the formation of the revolutionary trade union federation, COSATU, which remains the major fighting force for the rights of workers in South Africa, umbutho wabasebenzi oqotho. . Thirty years since the Maseru Massacre, the Uitenhage Massacre, the Trojan Horse Massacre right here in Athlone, the Duncan Village Massacre and other tragic incidents. . Thirty years since the brutal assassination of Victoria Mxenge and we honour her defiant spirit and heroism. . Twenty five years since the unbanning of peoples' organisations, when we began the journey to transform our country. . Twenty five years since the re-launch of the ANC Women's League. . Twenty years since the death of Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe Joe Slovo. Sikhumbula isibindi nobuqhawe bakhe, and . Twenty years since the tragic KwaShobashobane Massacre. Comrades, Today, the ANC National Executive Committee reports back to our people on how far we have come, in giving effect to the ideals of the Freedom Charter. The Preamble of the Freedom Charter reminds us that: "We, the People of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know, that South Africa belongs to All Who Live in It, Black and White, and that No Government Can Justly Claim Authority, unless it is based on the Will of All the People". The preamble of the Constitution of the Republic makes the same declaration that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. The Constitution has its foundation in the Freedom Charter. Indeed, we have achieved a government based on the will of all the people. We have held democratic elections every five years and every South African has a right to elect a government of his or her choice. We began this journey by removing all forms of legislative and institutionalised discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, culture and sexual orientation. It is our task to work together to foster social cohesion and to build a common South African nationhood. The National Development Plan is an overarching plan and a vision to realise the ideals of the Freedom Charter to put in place a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it. The ANC is the Movement best placed, as the leader of society, to bring hope to all South Africans around the vision of the NDP. Comrades and compatriots, We will now reflect on the clauses of the Freedom Charter as well as progress and our tasks going forward. CLAUSE NUMBER ONE SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN People's power has its roots in the manner in which the ANC elects its leaders. The ANC empowers our structures to nominate and vote for their preferred candidates through a series of democratic processes and eventually the National Conference of the ANC decides on national leadership. Similar processes apply when we choose those who will represent our people in all the legislatures and the national executive of the country. Among the key tasks of the movement, let us rededicate ourselves to the core values of the ANC. These are unity, selflessness, sacrifice, collective leadership, humility, honesty, discipline, hard work, internal debates, constructive criticism and self-criticism and mutual respect. We must continuously guard against the manipulation of our democratic processes by those who wish to use the ANC for personal gain. Let us root out those members and representatives who are corrupt, factional and who undermine the unity and cohesion of this great Movement. We must engage in the Imvuselelo Campaign which intends to regenerate the ANC at a grassroots level. Our branches must serve as the leading force to address issues in their communities through the establishment of street committees. All branches should hold branch meetings and also convene regular community meetings to discuss matters affecting communities. The ANC also takes further its work and people's power through its Leagues. The ANC relies on its Women's League to lead efforts, aimed at the total emancipation of women in our society. It is also important to realise that we are increasingly becoming a youthful society, as 60% of our population are young people. We need to give the youth hope and certainty that the future is in their hands. In this regard, South Africa needs a strong, vibrant ANC Youth league to ensure that the progressive future of our country is guaranteed. We need the political clarity of an Anton Lembede, the militancy of a Peter Mokaba, the courage of a Solomon Mahlangu and an Ashley Kriel and the pragmatism of a Walter Sisulu in the ANC Youth League. Our youth, today, needs to emulate the leaders of that calibre. They should be militant, politically clear, courageous, militant but disciplined. Veterans have a critical role to play in our movement. The ANC Veterans League must consist of men and women with over forty years of unbroken service in the ANC and who are over sixty years of age. This will ensure that the ANC's institutional memory is passed on from generation to generation. CLAUSE 2 SAYS THAT ALL NATIONAL GROUPS SHALL HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS We can declare unequivocally that South Africans have equal rights, which are entrenched in the Constitution. Bonke abantu banamalungelo, njengoba kusho i-Freedom Charter. ANC Members have a duty to defend our Constitution and the laws of our country. We are calling on our members to actively promote rights and freedoms and to fight discrimination, in all its manifestations. CLAUSE NUMBER 3 SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE SHALL SHARE IN THE COUNTRY'S WEALTH South Africa is a much better and different place today than it was before 1994. More people have access to housing, health, education and other basic services. However, the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality persist. Abantu abaningi basakhungethwe indlala ngenxa yokweswela imisebenzi, kanti nezidingo zikahulumeni azikakafiki kahle kwabanye. Sizosebenza kanzima ngokuzikhandla ukuze silunge lesisimo. UKhongolose uzokwenza isimo senhlalo nesomnotho sijike kakhulu kulesisigaba senkululeko esikusona okwamanje, isigaba senguquko kwezomnotho. To enhance radical economic transformation we will engage in a number of activities and I will mention just a few. We are de-racialising the economy. We must break the stranglehold of monopoly capital on our economic development. It is imperative that the Competition Commission continues to address monopolistic, collusive and anti-competitive behaviour and become even bolder in their preventative and punitive measures. Our economic development also depends on our ability to untangle the red tape that stifles the growth of our economy. The ANC will make sure that the middle class, particularly the black middle class, continues to grow as part of socio-economic transformation. ANC members and structures must ensure that the values that inform the role and outlook of the middle class are consistent with our historic values, namely sacrifice, accountability and integrity. The ANC government also remains committed to the programmes envisioned under the New Growth Path and the Industrial Policy Action Plan. The ANC government has also established the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission, to speed up the delivery and improve the maintenance of water, energy, health, education and transport infrastructure and other key projects. Bakwethu, Umnotho ombiwa phansi kufanele ubathuthukise abantu bonke ikakhulukazi abasebenzi basezimayini nemiphakathi ehlala eduze nezimayini. Njengoba kusho i-Freedom Charter, lomnotho ususezandleni zikahulumeni. Iwona uhulumeni okhipha amalayisense. Kodwa ukuba sezandleni zikahulumeni, akukabasizi kangako bonke abantu. Kulonyaka uhulumeni kakhongolose kufanele aphothule izichibiyelo zomthetho ozoqinisekisa ukuthi abasebenzi basezimayini nemiphakathi bayahlomula emnothweni wokumbiwa phansi. Banking has become much more accessible to the majority but the excessive charges and fees mean that many people can still not afford banking services. ANC branches must work more closely with our Alliance partners on their financial sector campaigns to make banking services even more affordable to our people and to ensure that this sector becomes more diversified. ANC branches must also take an active interest in the development of local economies through encouraging local entrepreneurs. Bakwethu, Enye yezinto uhulumeni kaKhongolose azenze kahle kakhulu kuleminyaka edlulile, ukufakelwa kukagesi ngisho ezindaweni ezisemaphandleni. The successful electrification of new households and the growth of the economy have placed an extensive strain on the electricity grid than at any other time. To enhance energy security, the ANC government is accelerating the pace to bring the Medupi and Kusile power stations onto the grid. We are also licensing Independent Power Producers. We are also assessing projects in the region which have the potential to produce power in the short term. We also continue to evaluate options to maximise our energy mix including coal, gas, nuclear, solar and renewables. We call on ANC members and South Africans in general, to support the ANC government in efforts to save energy and to be part of finding a solution to this national challenge. Comrades, The price of oil is unpredictable and the recent drop in the price is an important development. As long as the oil price remains low, the ANC calls on businesses to pass on the benefits to our people. We call on households to use this opportunity to reduce their debt burden and save more. Fellow South Africans, We cannot ignore the scourge of corruption that eats at the fabric of our society and constrains economic development. The ANC must continue to lead in ending corruption. CLAUSE NO 4: THE LAND SHALL BE SHARED AMONGST THOSE WHO WORK IT Land has been at the heart of the historic injustice of dispossession and the stripping off, of the dignity of the African people. As Sol Plaatje stated: "awakening on Friday morning, June 20, 1913 the South African native found himself not actually a slave but a pariah in the land of his birth." To begin to reverse this calamity, the ANC Government has restored nearly 3,2 million hectares of land. Where people have chosen to receive financial compensation, government has paid out more than 18 billion rand between 1995 and November 2014. Altogether, nearly 1, 8 million claimants have benefitted from this programme to date. However, we are deeply concerned about the pace of land redistribution and we need to balance restoration, economic development and food security. We reassert the correctness of the Constitution, but reiterate that the usage of the 'willing buyer- willing seller' policy has had unsatisfactory results. Our Constitution is very clear on this matter and states that: "Property may be expropriated only in terms of the law of general application, for a public purpose or in the public interest, and subject to compensation, the amount of which and the time and manner of payment of which, have either been agreed to by those affected, or decided or approved by a court." The Constitution further states that the amount of the compensation and the time and manner of payment must be just and equitable, reflecting an equitable balance between the public interest and the interests of those affected. We commit that the land will be returned to our people. The ANC calls on its government to act with the necessary speed to put the legislation in place, this year, to ensure that this happens. Expropriation will be done in line with the Constitution and the law that will be passed this year. Furthermore, the ANC calls upon farmers to do more, to improve the lives of farm workers and farm dwellers on their farms. We call on our government to take decisive steps to prevent the eviction of farm-workers, the indigent and the poor. Whilst the tot-system has been legally abolished, some farmers are still practising the use of alcohol as a form payment. The ANC and its Alliance partners must engage in campaigns to expose and end this practice. Among the tasks of ANC members, all ANC branches must monitor the speed with which the government accelerates the implementation of land restitution. ANC branches must also spearhead campaigns for the protection of the rights of farm workers and farm dwellers. CLAUSE NO 5: ALL SHALL BE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW A key cornerstone of any democracy is an effective, independent, impartial and accessible justice system. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to protect the separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. A lot of progress has been made. Laws which discriminate on the basis of race, gender and other prohibited grounds have been removed. However, equality before the law and the justice system, can be unduly affected by economic status as well as the attitudes of those who interpret the law. Therefore, the transformation of the judiciary remains a priority for the ANC. We shall work continuously to ensure that the judiciary represents all South Africans. However, there can be no true transformation of any system, without a mind-set change by the people in the system. The ANC calls on some in the judiciary, to apply the law and the Constitution without fear, favour or prejudice and to resist the temptation to do otherwise. The ANC will also insist that the state prosecutorial and defence services are of standards that are comparable to international best practice. Comrades, We are now seeing a gradual, but steady decline in serious crime. However, crime still remains a major social and economic challenge. The ANC urges communities and all our branches to participate fully in the various community safety forums and to work with the South African Police and other law enforcement agencies to fight crime. We condemn, in the strongest of terms, the killing of law enforcement officers. The ANC also condemns the violent crimes against women, children, the elderly and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex communities. These attacks are despicable and they must be stopped. ANC members are urged to participate in the campaigns against violence and also to report, to law enforcement agencies, any knowledge regarding these attacks. ANC branches must also be active in community education on laws, rights and duties of South African citizens. Comrades and compatriots, CLAUSE NO 6: ALL SHALL ENJOY EQUAL HUMAN RIGHTS The ANC has always put human rights above any other consideration and calls upon the State to continue to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights. South Africans have the greatest freedoms available to them. We must work together to exercise these rights and freedoms in a manner that does not infringe on the rights of others in society. Our Constitution has created various institutions to support democracy and our rights, such as the Chapter 9 institutions. The Constitution also empowers the ANC government to take measures to protect or advance those who have been discriminated against under Apartheid. We will, therefore, continue to implement affirmative action and broad-based black economic empowerment in a manner that advances historically disadvantaged individuals and communities. The ANC calls on all our members and South Africans to promote the Bill of Rights and to live according to the Freedom Charter and the Bill of Rights. CLAUSE NO 7: THERE SHALL BE WORK AND SECURITY The right of workers to form and belong to trade unions is enshrined in the Constitution. The ANC government has put in place a range of laws such as the Labour Relations Act, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Employment Equity Act and other mechanisms to protect workers' rights and to bring about equality in the workplace. However, we are concerned that the transformation of the workplace is not taking place fast enough. Semi-skilled and unskilled workers remain highly vulnerable to exploitation. We urge all trade unions to ensure that no worker is left unorganised. An unorganised worker is an exploited worker. A national minimum wage for South Africa will be a progressive step forward and the ANC, together with our Alliance partners, are investigating the modalities of implementing such a mechanism. Compatriots, When our strategic ally, COSATU, was going through a challenging period, the ANC as the leader of the Alliance, sought to intervene to assist COSATU to find solutions to the problems that threatened to divide the organised working class. We reiterate that the integrity and unity of COSATU is non-negotiable. The ANC will continue to support the decisions that COSATU makes as an independent partner of our revolutionary strategic Alliance. The ANC calls on all workers not to allow themselves to be divided and to remind themselves that when the labour movement is divided, the only winners are the bosses. We call on all members of the ANC, SACP, COSATU plus SANCO to join hands and close ranks to defend the Alliance. CLAUSE NO 8: THE DOORS OF LEARNING AND CULTURE SHALL BE OPENED The ANC government has made great strides in ensuring that education and training is available to all and in addressing the injustices of the past. We have put in place a comprehensive and integrated education system. South Africa spends about 5% of its GDP on basic education and 1,4 % on higher education. This is showing significant results. Pre-school education has expanded massively. There is gender parity in school enrolment and we are doing well in terms of the matric pass rate. We congratulate the class of 2014. We are also showing steady improvements in tertiary education. Student financial aid is increasing all the time. Our figures show that more than 1,4 million students have benefited from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. However, the ANC is concerned at the escalating costs of tertiary education and the annual increase of fees by universities and other institutions of higher learning. This escalating cost has become another source of exclusion for the poor and vulnerable South African child. While we appreciate the autonomy of universities, we must caution universities against practices that exclude students. Our movement must be at the forefront of efforts to improve and sustain the quality of education. Compatriots, For many years, the majority of our people were prohibited from giving expression to their culture. Our songs, our plays, our practices and most other forms of expression were regarded as unacceptable. ANC members must promote the constitutional rights of all South Africans to express their culture. The ANC says to our people - feel free to sing, dance and express yourselves. It builds our national identity, diversity and pride as South Africans. Comrades, CLAUSE 9: THERE SHALL BE HOUSES, SECURITY AND COMFORT In the past twenty years, our government has made unprecedented progress in delivering water, electricity, sanitation and refuse removal to millions who were denied these services by apartheid and colonial regimes. Local government has been at the forefront of these tremendous achievements. Despite this, the governance of many of our municipalities is a cause for serious concern. Every single cadre of our movement must know that his or her responsibility is to make local government function better by getting the basics right - wherever they have been deployed. Getting back to basics means working tirelessly to ensure that municipalities provide water, electricity, parks, street lighting, refuse removal, repairing of potholes, dealing with the frustrating interruptions of services and the problems with billing systems. Getting back to basics means providing these services in a professional and caring manner that recognizes the dignity of each resident. We are here to serve the people. The people are not here to serve us. ANC public representatives must serve with humility, selflessness, honesty and dignity. They must also be self-critical, open to criticism and responsive to their constituencies. Getting back to basics also means actively communicating and interacting with the community in every ward. We must build a caring ANC. ANC branches must champion the interests of communities wherever they are found. Our people need to know that the ANC is their trusted ally and there is no issue that is too big for the ANC to resolve nor too small to warrant its attention. Getting back to basics means fighting fraud and corruption and reviewing tendering systems in local government. Getting back to basics also means working harder to expand poverty alleviation programmes such as the Community Works Programme, which provide skills and work opportunities for our people. The ANC must be at the forefront of mobilizing all sectors of society in a campaign to get back to basics. Comrades, The ANC supports efforts to improve the security and efficiency of supply of critical services in the health sector, such as cleaning, food, laundry and others. The ANC government has decided that these services will no longer be outsourced. Apartheid forced the majority of our people to live far away from economic and social opportunities and services. This legacy of separation, division and exclusion must be defeated. In our tasks as the movement, the ANC government must de-racialise communities so that a new and more cohesive society can be built. The ANC must be actively involved in the campaigns against HIV and AIDS and TB to build on the gains and prevent new infections. The ANC is calling on our people to participate in the healthy lifestyles campaign and to take responsibility for living longer and healthier lives. Our people should engage in physical exercise, stop smoking, eat healthier and eliminate the abuse of alcohol and drugs. CLAUSE NO 10: THERE SHALL BE PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP In his address to the First Congress of our sister movement, the MPLA in Luanda, Angola in 1977, our President Oliver Reginald Tambo said; "We seek to live in peace with our neighbours and the peoples of the world in conditions of equality, mutual respect and equal advantage". We are proud members of the Southern African Development Community, the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN), the Socialist International and many other international organisations. South Africa has thus, at the request of the AU and the UN, committed many young men and women in peace-keeping missions on the continent. We express condolences to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuance and defence of peace and development in the continent. The ANC congratulates all our sister parties on the Continent and the world, who have won elections during 2014, with special congratulations to former liberation movements. The ANC strongly condemns acts of violence and terrorism committed against innocent civilians, most especially women and children. We strongly condemn rape and in particular the abduction and rape of women and girls as an act of war. We continue to advocate for peace in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of the continent. We remain committed to assisting in various ways in efforts to build lasting peace and security. The ANC pledges our ongoing solidarity with the people of Palestine, Cuba and Western Sahara. The ANC will continue to play a constructive role in finding a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We celebrate the release of the remaining three members of the Cuban Five and the reciprocal actions by the Cuban government. We commend this positive step taken by President Raul Castro and President Barack Obama. The ANC wishes both Cuba and the United States well in further moves to improve diplomatic relations between these two countries. The ANC re-affirms our ongoing solidarity with Cuba and the Cuban people and will continue to offer support for an end to the US economic blockade. Western Sahara remains one of the last bastions of colonialism on the African continent and the ANC calls on Morocco to end the occupation of Western Sahara. The ANC will continue to consolidate and strengthen existing party-to-party relations with like-minded sister parties all over the world. We will also forge new relations with other progressive organisations and will work with other governing parties on issues of common interest. The ANC fully supports the inclusion of South Africa in the BRICS grouping. We congratulate BRICS on the establishment of the New Development Bank, with its headquarters in China and the regional centre in Johannesburg. In tasks of the movement, we urge ANC branches to play a more active part in solidarity campaigns on Palestine, Western Sahara and Cuba. We must celebrate Africa Day on the 25th of May and promote the African Agenda of economic and political integration. Let us promote the singing of the AU Anthem. We must continue to highlight the importance of realising the AU Agenda 2063 that speaks to pan-Africanism, a sense of African unity, self-reliance and solidarity. The ANC must play an increased role in the reform of international institutions such as the United Nations Security Council and the Bretton Woods institutions on principles of equity and fairness. Comrades, we emphasise that the ANC is a disciplined force of the left and remains an internationalist movement of the left. Compatriots, Sixty years ago at the end of the Congress of the People, facing the wrath of the apartheid machinery our forebears pledged: "These freedoms we will fight for, Side by side, throughout our lives, Until we have won our liberty." Today, as South Africans, we pledge to leave no stone unturned, until we have achieved economic freedom, for we know full well, that political freedom without economic emancipation, is incomplete. Sithi sizimisele ukusebenza kanzima ukuze sizuze inkululeko yezomnotho, ngoba siyazi ukuthi inkululeko yezepolitiki kuphela, ayiphelele. Let us continue to serve our people selflessly and with humility and dignity. OBITUARIES We have lost many ANC cadres during 2014 and express our condolences to the families of all the deceased comrades. Our primary message to all members and branches is that the ANC belongs to all the people of South Africa that is why it is called a liberation movement. The duty of members is to organize people and draw them into the ANC. THE NEC DECLARES 2015: THE YEAR OF THE FREEDOM CHARTER AND UNITY IN ACTION TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC FREEDOM! THE ANC LIVES! THE ANC LEADS! -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. 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