Start succession debate - ANC Gauteng
2011-06-26 22:19
Pretoria - The ANC in Gauteng on Sunday agreed to develop a discussion document detailing the calibre of cadres who must lead the movement.
Signalling the start of the leadership succession debate within the party's structures, ANC provincial secretary David Makhura said: "The PGC (Provincial General Council) mandated the PEC (Provincial Executive Committee) to develop a discussion document on the type of ANC and calibre of cadres who must lead the movement as we move from the Centenary Conference.
"This will ensure that ANC members have a disciplined debate on the future of their organisation," he said while reading the declaration adopted at the two-day meeting in Centurion.
Provincial chair Paul Mashatile spoke on the matter earlier, backing the youth league who were the drivers behind the call for the succession debate.
"It's already happening outside our discourse. It’s unfair that ANC members became onlookers while the debate continued.
"Our call to our PGC is, we need, as we prepare to go Mangaung [for the ANC's elective conference in 2012], to begin a disciplined discussion on these issues," he said.
ANC Youth League had been very vocal about this issue.
The league was pushing for Arts and Culture Minister Fikile Mbalula to replace Gwede Mantashe as ANC secretary general in 2012.
The meeting agreed that ANC members should be free to discuss the leadership issue in a disciplined way within party structures, so that the debate did not take place in the media.
Mashatile said: "They must start by discussing what kind of organisation we want to build as we get to the second centenary. Having done that we can say what kind of leadership we want to consider, to be able to lead the organisation to the future.”
Economy
Meanwhile, the PGC noted progress made in transforming the economy but said it was not enough.
"Much more needs to be done. We must transform the economy because the economy is still in the hands of the few in particular white monopoly capital,” said Makhura.
This includes the commanding heights of the economy and the ownership of the productive forces.
Makhura, who spoke after a lot of singing and dancing by delegates, said their goal remains that of building an economy that was inclusive of all South Africans - more particularly, one in which black people participate in the mainstream economy.
"With regards to the debate on need to realise economic freedom in our life time, we call upon a more rational and substantive debate on this important goal and put in place practical steps to realise it in our lifetime."
Speaking on the matter, Mashatile downplayed the danger of touching the nerves of the investors, like in the case with nationalisation of mines.
He said investors should be happy instead, adding that the economy must benefit the majority of the people.
"They must be happy that we are focusing on the economy. We want more investments in our country but we cannot continue into 18 years of democracy and the economy in South Africa remains in the hands of a select few.
"We must multiracialise the economy. We must ensure that there's empowerment of previously disadvantaged, women and the youth."
Asked if he supported the call for nationalisation, Mashatile answered: "I support strong state intervention in all sectors of the economy."
The ruling party was debating the issue of nationalisation within its structures and was doing further research on it, he said. He however made an example with Brazil, explaining that one major conglomerate in the mining sector are state owned entities.
"There are examples were state-owned entities are a success in addressing the economy, but in other sectors you can use various other models," said Mashatile, adding that the debate was continuing towards 2012.
Government was also urged to fast-track land redistribution, but like Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Mashatile cautioned that it should be done within the constitutional framework.
- SAPA
