ANC calls for consumer assistance amid rising cost of living

President Cyril Ramaphosa closes the three-day National Policy Conference that ended at Nasrec, Soweto. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

President Cyril Ramaphosa closes the three-day National Policy Conference that ended at Nasrec, Soweto. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Aug 1, 2022

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Baldwin Ndaba and Mashudu Sadike

Pretoria - In the wake of rising fuel and food prices in the country and world, the ANC has urged its members in government, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and the National Treasury, to assist consumers and businesses against the rising costs of living.

The call was announced by Ramaphosa following the conclusion of his party’s three-day National Policy Conference that ended at Nasrec, Soweto, yesterday.

He said his party had agreed that the people must benefit from the economy.

“The policy conference has agreed we need to undertake extraordinary and urgent measures to accelerate inclusive growth, create employment and alleviate poverty.

“We have also noted with great concern the impact of the rising cost of living on families, and have made recommendations, specifically on rising fuel and food prices. We have called on the government to act urgently to support consumers and businesses at this difficult time,” Ramaphosa said.

But these measures would not be successful unless they were embraced by all sections of society, and unless all sections of society were involved in forming and undertaking them, he said.

In an apparent victory for the SACP and Cosatu, the ANC delegates overwhelmingly supported the view that state-owned entities should not be privatised, but capacitated to ensure that they create wealth and job opportunities.

Detailing the resolutions, Ramaphosa said: “We have called for the state to be strengthened, for our state-owned entities to be stabilised, restructured and effectively capacitated to drive inclusive economic growth and social development.

“We have recognised the vital role of the private sector, particularly small business and the informal sector, in creating employment and other livelihood opportunities. And we have proposed a range of measures to unlock the huge potential of businesses of all sizes to emerge, grow and thrive.

“We have recognised that our economic progress requires a secure supply of affordable and sustainable energy,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the conference had endorsed the recent announcement by the government to improve the performance of Eskom’s existing power stations and to add new generation capacity to the grid as quickly as possible. “It has affirmed the need for a diverse mix of energy sources and a just transition to a low carbon economy that ensures our energy security, protects jobs and livelihoods and does not compromise our industrial development.

“Expanded infrastructure investment should be accelerated to play a critical role in providing basic services to urban and rural communities and improving South Africa’s overall economic performance.

“We must use all available means, including the new Expropriation Bill, to accelerate land redistribution. As the delegates to this policy conference, we are determined to achieve gender equality, starting within the ranks of our movement, in every structure and programme.”

The ANC also vowed to create more economic opportunities for women. “We are all agreed that all South Africans have a right to live in peace and security, and that no one should live in fear

of crime, violence or abuse. We are committed to working together to end all forms of violence by men against women and children,” Ramaphosa said.

Five years ago, ANC delegates in 2017 endorsed the view that the Reserve Bank must be under state control, but this has yet to happen. Yesterday, however, delegates recommended to the upcoming national elective conference in December to make a similar decision.“The conference noted once again the private ownership of the SA Reserve Bank, and reaffirmed the 54th National Conference resolution that the bank should be fully owned by the state.

Delegates also urged that the process for establishing a state bank be accelerated.

Pretoria News