Economy‚ jobs and corruption to dominate Gauteng ANC conference

The ANC in Gauteng has outlined its defensive strategy to ward off the DA in the province come next year’s general elections.

The plan‚ which focuses mainly on alleviating socio-economic challenges experienced by residents in Gauteng‚ will come under discussion at the party’s provincial conference set to begin on Friday.

In a media briefing on the state of readiness for the conference‚ ANC provincial secretary Hope Papo said the “cardinal point of focus of all discussion papers is specific challenges and socio-economic problems facing the people of Gauteng”. He said the conference will also discuss issues of unity and modernisation in the party.

Some of the issues that will inform the party’s resolutions are how it will implement radical socio-economic transformation; create employment; drive investment; root out corruption; legalise zama-zamas (informal miners); review the state of healthcare and curb the rising cost of living.

Papo said it is being proven untrue that the DA-led coalition in metros like Johannesburg and Tshwane are governing better than the ANC.

“We think that a notion that our opponents can govern better than us is daily being proven false‚ both in Tshwane and in Johannesburg. Our own members in the ANC caucus in Tshwane and in Johannesburg have a full mandate to give our opponents a run for their money…We are going to confront our opponents‚” he said.

The conference‚ which will also elect a new set of provincial leaders‚ is expected to draw to a close on Sunday.

Papo issued a stern warning to party members who have lodged legal disputes over the outcomes of regional conferences‚ saying the province’s executive committee “will defend the organisation in any court action instituted”.

“We are confident that courts will find in our favour because all procedures were scrupulously followed‚” he said.

Earlier this month‚ disgruntled members from branches in the Sedibeng region filed a court application to nullify the results of its regional conference.