ANC launches pro-poor manifesto
2009-01-10 14:02
Cape Town - Rural development, education and job creation will be some of the benefits South Africans were likely to enjoy should they return the ANC to government in this year's elections, ruling party President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday.
Addressing thousands of ANC supporters at the ruling party's manifesto launch at the Absa stadium in East London, Zuma said free education would be expanded under an ANC-led government.
"We will review the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to facilitate the progressive introduction of free education for the poor at undergraduate level," Zuma said.
On crime, Zuma reiterated the ANC's objective of reducing contact crime by 7 to 10 percent per year.
Other areas to be prioritised by the ruling party included health job creation, food security, land reform, corruption and health.
However, Zuma said the ruling party 's pro-poor manifesto did not imply that the ANC was turning a blind eye to achievements registered under former president Thabo Mbeki's government.
The ANC government, Zuma said, provided 18.7 million more people with access to clean water and 10.9 million more people with sanitation.
Close to 10 million houses were built for the poor.
Yet, it was clear that a lot more still needed to be done.
"We will retain those strategies and practices that have been successful, but will change or improve those that have not delivered optimal results," he said.
The ANC will see to it that State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) played a major role in uplifting South Africans still trapped in poverty.
"Our people have spoken clearly - they say that development finance institutions DFIs are not easily accessible and that they often seem to be competing with commercial banks," Zuma said.
The ruling party's black economic empowerment and affirmative action policies, which has so far contributed to the growth of South Africa's middle class by 2.6 million in 2007, would be retained.
"We will continue to advance these progressive policies," Zuma said.
- SAPA