WEB
In the second part of a series of articles that aims to inform undecided and new voters, the African National Congress (ANC) comes under the magnifying glass.
The ANC is the oldest of the parties with candidates in this year's election. It was formed in 1912 when Pixley ka Isaka Seme called on Africans to forget the differences and declared that, “We are one people. These divisions, these jealousies, are the cause of all our woes today.”
The ANC was known as a liberation or struggle organisation through its years as a banned organisation under the apartheid regime and by means of its military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (The Spear of the Nation) took up arms against the South African Government in 1961.
In 1990 the organisation was unbanned and in 1994 it won the first democratic elections in South Africa by a 62 per cent majority.
The ANC has been in power for the past 20 years.
According to their manifesto for the 2014 elections the party with its slogan “Together we move South Africa forward” will address the following issues.
• Build an inclusive economy that creates jobs
• Transform rural areas
• Ensure decent living conditions and sustainable human settlements
• Improve and expand education and training
• Ensure quality health care for all
• Fight corruption and crime
• Build a united nation and promote social cohesion
For the full article read next week's edition of the Record.
Roodepoort — In the second part of a series of articles that aims to inform undecided and new voters, the African National Congress (ANC) comes under the magnifying glass.
The ANC is the oldest of the parties with candidates in this year's election. It was formed in 1912 when Pixley ka Isaka Seme called on Africans to forget the differences and declared that, “We are one people. These divisions, these jealousies, are the cause of all our woes today.”
The ANC was known as a liberation or struggle organisation through its years as a banned organisation under the apartheid regime and by means of its military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (The Spear of the Nation) took up arms against the South African Government in 1961.
In 1990 the organisation was unbanned and in 1994 it won the first democratic elections in South Africa by a 62 per cent majority.
The ANC has been in power for the past 20 years.
According to their manifesto for the 2014 elections the party with its slogan “Together we move South Africa forward” will address the following issues.
• Build an inclusive economy that creates jobs. This includes directing the state to buy at least 75 per cent from South African producers, accelerating the roll-out of the massive economic and social-infrastructure plan, empowering the youth and creating jobs and internships for them, and consolidating the public works programme by which they hope to create six million jobs by 2019.
• Transform rural areas. The party aims to implement rural development, land reform, increase investment in agriculture, accelerate the settling of rural land claims and expand the Food for All programme.
• Ensure decent living conditions and sustainable human settlements. This includes providing one million housing opportunities, accelerating the provision of basic services and connecting 1,6 million houses to electricity.
• Improve and expand education and training. The party aims to make two years of pre-school education compulsory, eradicate adult illiteracy, attend to teacher development, open two new universities, expand the FET college sector, with greater support and adequate funding for students, and introduce compulsory community service for all graduates.
• Ensure quality health care for all through the roll-out of the next phase of the National Health Insurance (NHI), intensifying their campaign against HIV/Aids and making sure chronic medication is more readily available.
• Fight corruption and crime.
• Build a united nation and promote social cohesion through ensuring that public officials are constantly in touch with the people and promoting a society of dialogue.
