How can the ANC National General Council prioritise workers’ struggles and economic recovery?

THE African National Congress (ANC), will be holding its National General Council (NGC) from the 8th to the 11th December.

- Cosatu General Secretary Solly Phetoe.

AN ANC supporter at the party's election campaign meeting in this file photo.

(AFP)

Whilst it is natural for a political party to spend time engaging upon politics, it is critical that this NGC of the ANC, gear its attention to the daily struggles that millions of workers experience, to give hope to the unemployed and to tackle the obstacles facing inclusive and rapid economic growth.

Society wants to hear from the leading party in government frank self-introspection and most importantly for the ANC to emerge with concrete proposals on what needs to be done to ensure the state can fulfill its constitutional mandate to provide public and municipal services, to utilise public resources in the most effective way possible to stimulate economic growth and tackle unemployment, poverty, inequality, crime and corruption.

That is the message that the Congress of South African Trade Unions will be bringing to its ally, the ANC’s NGC.

The 40% result that the ANC received in the 2024 elections must serve as a wake-up call. It is a stark reminder to the NGC delegates that society, correctly, expects more.

If the economy is to reach the 3% annual growth rate fundamental to reducing our staggering 42.4% unemployment rate, then the NGC must focus on urgent high impact interventions to get the economy moving.

An ANC that is occupied by palace politics helps no one. It distracts the leaders of government from focusing on the bread-and-butter issues that matter to workers and the economy.