Clause on Constitution removed from ANC docs
2012-03-05 20:15
Mandy Rossouw, City Press
Johannesburg - A paragraph that points to the ANC’s intent to change the Constitution was removed from the latest version of the party’s discussion documents.
The party launched its discussion documents at Lilliesleaf in Rivonia on Monday.
These documents form the basis of the ANC policy conference in June and its national elective conference in December in Mangaung.
On Sunday City Press reported the Strategy and Tactics document, which was presented to the national executive committee on February 27, contained indications that the ruling party wants to change the constitution.
"Constitutions are living documents and reflect the stage of development of a given society.
"There may therefore well be elements of our Constitution that requires review because they may be an impediment to social and economic transformation, such as for example the narrow mandate of the Reserve Bank or the relationship between and powers of different spheres of government," it read.
Today there was no trace of the paragraph in the document distributed at Lilliesleaf.
Justice Minister Jeff Radebe told journalists the ANC had no such plans.
He went on to call his fellow NEC members "impimpis" and "Judas Iscariots" because they leak documents to the press.
"Every place has rotten apples," he said.
Although Radebe confirmed the ANC "might" amend the constitution, he called media reports on the matter "scare tactics”.
NEC member Jessie Duarte confirmed that the ANC wants parliamentary hearings to take place which will look into an "independent mechanism" to regulate the print media.
She said a mechanism is needed to increase accountability. But, she added, this mechanism must be free of government and business influence, as well as the influence of "monopolies in media", referring to the fact that four media houses own the biggest print publications.
A land commission is also due to be established to help the minister of land affairs to deal with land restitution. A position of land valuer-general will be created to establish the value of land that is to be expropriated.
The ANC complained that the willing buyer-willing seller model "distorts" the land market through inflating the prices of land earmarked for restitution.
"This has a dual effect of making land reform expensive and delays the process of increasing access of the poor to land," Radebe said.
