Mantashe - statement to focus on NDP
2013-01-12 13:55
Johannesburg - The ANC's January 8 statement will focus on the adoption of the National Development Plan (NDP), education and unemployment, the party's general secretary Gwede Mantashe told SABC in a televised interview on Saturday. He said the endorsement of the NDP, which has been punted as a strategic document to build South Africa, will help every citizen.
The plan presents a roadmap to a more inclusive economy that will address South Africa's socio-economic imbalances and challenges.
"The country has a 20-year window for planning. The plan is at the top of the agenda," Mantashe said.
He said the progress in education must be monitored, and stressed that education cannot be characterised by last year's Limpopo textbook saga.
"A lot of energy was spent on Limpopo and that's why it led to better results," he said.
He said other provinces had moved on from the textbook saga, which saw a legal battle after schools did not receive textbooks seven months into the school year.
On unemployment, Mantashe said the ANC had put an infrastructure plan in place with a government-led economic strategy.
The plan was to mobilise the private sector to invest in creating jobs.
On strikes, he said rights could not be characterised by trampling on the rights of others. "If the right to strike equals violence and vandalising property then you are going against that right.[sic]"
- SAPA
