Hundreds of Delft residents join ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa for a peace walk as part of its 113th birthday celebration. The party led a prayer and candlelight ceremony in the township on Thursday evening. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
AFTER embarking on mobilising for the ANC 113th anniversary celebrations, President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the January 8 Statement on behalf of the national executive committee at Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha on Saturday.
The celebrations take place less than a year after the ANC lost dominance of South African politics since the dawn of democracy.
While Ramaphosa is expected to outline policy priorities for the year ahead, political analysts said Ramaphosa, the Government of National Unity (GNU), the party’s renewal process, and performance at the last elections would feature top in his address.
Unisa political science lecturer, Professor Dirk Kotze said he expected quite similar stuff to the previous January statements.
“They all follow more the same format. They talk about ANC’s internal state of affairs,” Kortze said.
He also said Ramaphosa would undoubtedly restate the renewal programme.
“This will be about how to improve the quality of membership. I am sure it will be quite prominent.”
Kortze also said Ramaphosa should refer to last year’s elections and the fact that they lost significant support.
“He will talk about how the ANC must turn that around specifically in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. I don’t think he will go into detail about it. It is about the importance and the urgency to prepare for the next year elections.”
Kotze anticipated that Ramaphosa will talk about the relationship with the SACP, which recently announced that it will contest the municipal elections despite being in alliance with the ANC, but doubts whether he will go into details.
He said the GNU would equally feature in the address and why the ANC thinks it was important to be involved with the DA, IFP, Patriotic Alliance, and other parties as a response to criticism from the left, including the SACP, Cosatu, EFF, and MK Party.
“He will go to policy issue. He will talk mainly priority issues for this year. The economy will be the main focus, unemployment, job creation and infrastructure development.”
Kotze also said he expected Ramaphosa to touch on issues of be service delivery, especially water and expand on electricity situation which was in a better state.
“The other matters are health, education, crime. This speech is the beginning of a process that will culminate in State of the Nation Address speech in February,” he said.
“It must provide the basis of the main key issues that must be developed into detail for the Sona speech. It is not merely a statement about the ANC but will go into government and to a large extent as part of GNU,” he said.
University of North West political analyst, Professor Andre Duvenhage, said throughout the history of the ANC, the January 8 Statement was used to make announcements.
“I believe it will follow the basis of reflecting on the state and its functioning. He is to reflect on the economy and social conditions in the country including the battle against crime and corruption,” Duvenhage said.
He said this year’s anniversary was unique because there were a number of issues Ramaphosa needs to address directly and indirectly.
“He needs to reflect on the poor performance of the ANC in 2024 elections and at the same the preparations for the 2026 local government election.”
Duvenhage expected Ramaphosa to refer to the relationship with the allies in the tripartite alliance.
“He will be diplomatic to the relationship among the broad church members of the alliance, the SACP and Cosatu.”
He added that he expected Ramaphosa to reflect on party’s renewal programme.
“Maybe in that context, he will address the question of discipline. We have seen action taken by (secretary-general) Fikile Mbalula against some members.”
Speaking to journalists earlier this week, Ramaphosa said the January 8 Statement usually gives an analysis of the moment.
“We are in the current moment of GNU. It also flows from the election outcome,” he said on the sidelines of a cake-cutting ceremony in Athlone.
Ramaphosa also said the statement would set out priorities.
“It sets out the tasks that we must embark on for the year. That is what we are going to do,” he said.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za