South Africa’s ANC to intensify self-renewal

Johannesburg, South Africa | Xinhua | South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Sunday said it has recognized the need to intensify “genuine” self-renewal and build a “capable, ethical and developmental state” in order to resolve many challenges that the people are facing.

“There was a shared consensus that both ANC and the government must respond adequately, urgently and assertively to the challenges that people are facing on the daily basis,” ANC and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the closing of the 6th National Policy Conference of ANC in Johannesburg.

These challenges include the burden of unemployment, poverty, crime, gender-based violence and femicide, corruption, social cohesion, racism, the energy crisis and the rising cost of living, he said.

To intensify the renewal, the party needs to clearly define and articulate the character of ANC as a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic liberation movement that must continue to mobilize, organize and lead the multi-forces and society in pursuit of the national democratic revolution, a process led by ANC to establish a non-racial, non-sexist, united, democratic and wealth-shared society, Ramaphosa said.

According to him, the renewal of ANC requires that the party remains rooted amongst the people and it “must demonstrate a willingness to serve and make sacrifices” and must also be willing to acknowledge and address our weaknesses.

The president also said every member, every leader and every structure of the ANC have to undertake the task of renewal, and all the elements of ANC renewal framework needs to be integrated into every aspect of its work in the party, society and the government.

The National Policy Conference, which took place ahead of 55th ANC National Conference expected in December, was convened to review the policies of ANC and recommend new policies or amendments.