AfriForum condemns Constitution 'plans'

2012-03-04 19:42

Johannesburg - AfriForum on Sunday condemned the ANC for reportedly considering changes to the Constitution.

"The ANC is a dishonest party, apparently prepared to break agreements reached during the erstwhile constitutional negotiations, without batting an eyelid," it said in a statement.

It appeared as if the ANC regarded compromises made by the party during the constitutional negotiations to be mere temporary concessions that had to be made in order to obtain political power, said spokesperson Kallie Kriel.

He said the ANC had misled other participants in the negotiation process by pretending that they wanted to reach a final agreement to the benefit of all in the country.

"The ANC's breaking of negotiated agreements will lay the foundation for renewed polarisation in the country," Kriel said.

City Press reported the ANC was considering dramatic changes to the Constitution, which included doing away with the "sunset clauses", and adjusting the powers of the Reserve Bank and provinces.

Draft policy documents were set to be distributed to the party's branches on Monday in preparation for the ANC's policy conference in June, the newspaper reported.

Economic transformation

In the documents, the ANC said the 1996 Constitution was appropriate for a "political transition", but had proven inadequate for social and economic transformation.

Other topics discussed included:

-- The public impression that the party was seen from the outside as a "neo-patrimonial political machine to distribute power and resources among ourselves".

-- The "crisis of credibility" the party faced in terms of its capacity to deliver social and economic change

-- The principle of ubuntu being introduced into the school curriculum

-- HIV/Aids being made a notifiable disease

-- The introduction of compulsory community service for all university graduates

-- The continued implementation of a media appeals tribunal

-- Introducing a BEE code for the print media sector

The ANC said constitutions were "living documents and reflect the stage of development of a given society", reported the City Press.

The party also questioned whether it could still refer to itself as a liberation movement versus it becoming a political party.

- SAPA