The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) on Saturday morning began its three-day Lekgotla in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg.
The high-level gathering brings together ANC representatives from across the country, including those deployed as Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers and Executive Mayors.
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January 8 Statement
The Lekgotla is aimed at developing a concrete implementation plan for the six priorities outlined in the party’s January 8 Statement, which was delivered in the North West province two weeks ago.
These priorities are expected to guide government and party work in the year ahead.
The meeting comes at a critical time for the governing party, as it prepares for this year’s local government elections.
Strengthening service delivery, stabilising municipalities and improving economic performance are expected to dominate discussions.
Confront persistent challenges
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said the Lekgotla would confront persistent challenges facing local government, including the failure to fully utilise infrastructure funding.
“Two billion of municipal infrastructure grant has returned back and there are potholes. Where is the bottleneck? What are the challenges?” Mbalula asked.
He said the party would also assess progress on its economic and industrialisation agenda, as outlined in its manifesto.
“So those are the things we’re going to address – fixing local government, the economy. If you look at the poor provinces and the industrialisation programme in our manifesto, how far we have gone in implementing it and creating jobs,” he said.
Build on those gains
Mbalula added that while there are positive signs in parts of the economy, the focus would be on how to build on those gains and translate them into tangible improvements for communities.
The outcomes of the Lekgotla are expected to shape the ANC’s strategy and messaging in the lead-up to the local government polls later this year.
