AS THE ANC heads towards the 2024 national elections, the party has identified five key priorities as it attempts to turn around its declining electorate.
While delivering the party’s January 8th statement at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Mangaung, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the 55th national conference acknowledged that to respond to adequately and boldly address the objective difficulties facing the people, the ANC must deal decisively and fearlessly with its own subjective weaknesses.
“We’ve identified five key priorities to deal with the challenges and priorities for 2023 and these include specific initiatives and programmes to deepen the renewal of the ANC; accelerate the resolution of the energy crisis to end load-shedding; boldly mobilise social partners around economic reconstruction and recovery in order increase job creation, investment and empowerment; improve delivery of basic services and maintaining infrastructure and strengthen the fight against crime and corruption,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa also added they had developed a 10 year road map to define the future of the ANC as it prepares for its 120th anniversary.
“Central to the ANC road map, is the understanding that the ANC will only succeed in realising its strategic objectives when it confronts its subjective weaknesses and successfully transforms itself into a renewed, responsive, modernised, well-governed, well-resourced, ethical, caring and effective political formation.
“As we build an outward-looking ANC with a clear programme that is responsive to the needs of the people, all ANC structures must focus on putting people and solutions to their daily struggles first.
“The journey of renewal has to begin in earnest and become unstoppable and irreversible so that we pay attention to and direct all our energies to the resolution of the pressing problems facing the people of SA,” he said.
Ramaphosa repeated his statement from the Presidential gala dinner held on Saturday that the renewal of the ANC was irreversible and the only way was forward.
The Dr Molemela Stadium in Rocklands, Bloemfontein, was filled with patrons and supporters of the ANC standing in the scorching sun listening to Ramaphosa as he delivered his nearly two-hour long speech.
The newly elected ANC national executive committee joined Ramaphosa on stage who after concluding his speech was joined by ANC activist and last living leader of the 1956 Women’s March Sophie de Bruyn.
Image (Cry for help, as ANC supporters listen to the address of Pres Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa during the January 8th statement celebrations in Mangaung, FS on Sunday).
