WRAP | Ramaphosa: Nothing wrong with ANC's cadre deployment policy

Election manifesto: ANC vows to create 2.5 million 'work opportunities' over next five years

The ANC has promised voters that it will create 2.5 million work opportunities in the next five years and progressively increase the R350 social relief from distress grant for unemployed people. 

Ramaphosa calls for "a decisive victory" by the ANC. He closes his speech by saying "Mayihlome!"

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: "Our cadre development policy is about appointing suitable people... who share our vision. There is nothing unconstitutional about a party influencing the policy direction of a government [through appointments... They [DA] should give us their minutes."

He quotes Mantashe's recent comments that recently there were no black directors-general and chief justices.

- Soyiso Maliti

COMMENT |

I haven't seen Ramaphosa this fiery in a long time. He is revving up the crowd.

This manifesto launch is meant to inspire ANC voters but also serves as an effort to mobilise ANC structures.

Ramaphosa seems ready for a hard fight ahead of the election.

The party has 94 days to convince South Africans to renew its majority.

- Qaanitah Hunter

There is no place for those who are factional.

"They don't belong here in the ANC."

He said others were removing themselves from the ANC.

In this election, Ramaphosa says, the ANC will make sure it's represented by the "finest leadership".

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa says the ANC has learnt from their mistakes and their experience.

He says they are the only party fit to govern.

"We were led by giants," he says.

- Qaanitah Hunter

Ramaphosa keeps evoking former president Nelson Mandela, OR Tambo and Moses Mabhida's leadership.

He is banging his index finger on the dais as the crowd roars. ANC leaders are waving flags behind him.

- Soyiso Maliti

In government, "accountability must go alongside consequence management", Ramaphosa says.

He promises the protection of whistle-blowers and to professionalise the public service.

- Soyiso Maliti

COMMENT |

The ANC had to concede to the failures of municipalities.

Many ANC-run municipalities across the country are dysfunctional and are struggling to provide basic services.

This affects the poor the worst.

- Qaanitah Hunter

Over the next five years "we must continue to promote the rights of all South Africans" against racism, homophobia, sexism, among others.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa says the government will be given more responsibility to support struggling municipalities.  

He said the ANC had built 4.9 million houses.

Ramaphosa says: "This ANC government will continue to support our people so they can get houses."  

- Soyiso Maliti

He calls for the price of data to decrease. Ramaphosa says data prices are much cheaper in other countries.

Ramaphosa promises they will apply "pressure" to lower data costs.

- Soyiso Maliti

The National Health Insurance will be implemented, Ramaphosa says.

- Soyiso Maliti

"We will continue to ensure that South Africans live long [and that] regardless of their income, receive quality health [service]," Ramaphosa says.

- Soyiso Maliti

The President says the R350 grant works.

"Some are buying food with it. Others are using it to look for jobs. Others are starting their own business. Some buy beer. But it's fine," Ramaphosa says.

- Soyiso Maliti

"As required by law, we will continue increasing the national minimum wage. We will continue to monitor its implementation," says Ramaphosa.

He says the R350 grant will continue.

He receives rapturous applause.

This is the liveliest the crowd has been since he's started speaking.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa promises to subsidise basic services like water for the poor.

This will be achieved only by the ANC government "and no other".

"We must always know that," Ramaphosa says.

- Soyiso Maliti

"Comrade Godongwana... met an old woman who said 'increase the pension money because the cost of living has gone up'."

He says Godongwana obliged and has increased grants.

- Soyiso Maliti

"We will continue to transform our financial sector so that it provides affordable loans..." Ramaphosa says.  

"We will accelerate land reform and redistribution," adds Ramaphosa.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa says the government is "investing in energy, roads and critical infrastructure".

"Investment is necessary for us to end load shedding," Ramaphosa says.

- Soyiso Maliti

He says "Africa is open for us" in terms of the import and export trade.

Before 1994, South Africa couldn't trade because "it was hated".

Today, the "doors of trade are open".  

The country's wheat is going to China and cattle are going "all over", according to Ramaphosa.

- Soyiso Maliti  

Ramaphosa says apartheid relegated black people to the back.  

He thumps his chest over the thousands of black industrialists who were propped up by the ANC.  

"This ANC government... will create a 1 000 more black industrialists."

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: The department of home affairs will employ 10 000 people who have IT expertise.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: We will increase support for those who are in business.

We will continue to promote employment equity to ensure that black people and women are employed in the public and private sector.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa says the jobs plan will zero in on townships and villages.  

He says the ANC would ensure black people, women and people with special needs are represented in private and public sectors.

- Soyiso Maliti

He says the jobs plan will include graduates. He says the unemployed doctors will now get jobs. But he doesn't say how.  

"We're going to continue [employing] 10 000 cops," Ramaphosa.

He says the Home Affairs Department will employ IT specialists.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: Over the next five years, the ANC will implement a jobs plan.

The plan will provide 2.5 million job opportunities.

He says the ANC has the experience of creating jobs.

He says the job creation will include those who have degrees and diplomas who are unemployed.

He says the doctors who are unemployed are all going to get jobs.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: He now talks to the priorities of the party.

He starts by speaking of the high unemployment rate in SA.

He says the first priority is to get South Africa to work.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa salutes the Springboks' four World Cup wins.

He also salutes Bafana Bafana's recent exploits.

He notes the successes of the tennis team.  

On the manifesto, he says: "This is our plan for the next five years. Priority number one: to put South Africa to work. We have a plan."

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: He speaks about the successes of SA in sports.

He mentions that it is the only country that has won the Rugby World Cup four times, and also mentions the successes of Bafana Bafana and the tennis team.

He says the country can't take that for granted and needs to do more.

- Bongekile Macupe

Lucy Shandu from Umbumbulu says she is struggling to understand the English language.

"There are many of us who cannot understand English; I wish he could have spoken more in isiZulu so that we can leave here knowing what the message is. As things stand, there is very little that I have heard, and we came from far away."

- Amanda Khoza

(Photo by Amanda Khoza/News24)

While some ANC supporters are excited to see and listen to President Cyril Ramaphosa his election manifesto at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, some fell asleep.

- Amanda Khoza

(Photo by Amanda Khoza/News24)

Ramaphosa: He is now going over the names of young people that he says are Tintswalos that the party hosted at its gala dinner on Friday night.

He mentions a young woman who drives trains, another one who is a pilot and also singer and performer Makhadzi.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: The lives of many South Africans have improved. There are many Tintswalos, where I go, I meet a lot of Tintswalos.

Others say I am Tintswalo's father; others say I am Tintswalo's aunt. Even the opposition, though they don't like the concept of Tintswalo, they have Tintswalos in their families.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa says there are "many Tintswalos" now compared to what there were before 1994.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: The ANC has greatly improved the lives of many South Africans through education.

He says Bantu education was meant to ensure that black people are uneducated, he says but the ANC-led government has opened doors of learning.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: Where there are services that are lacking at the moment it is only the ANC that has the experience to deliver those services because we have the experience of the past 30 years.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: Touches on the first State of the Nation by former president Nelson Mandela which he says included free housing and healthcare.

He says 60% of its budget is improving the lives of people; he says he doesn't know any other country that does this.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa refers to Nelson Mandela's first State of the Nation Address after the 1994 elections, where he promised free housing and water through the RDP programme.  

Ramaphosa says 30 years later, the ANC has "achieved" this goal.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: He speaks about what the ANC government has done for traditional leadership, including installing kings and queens.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: He says today we have institutions that work, a free media and regular free and fair elections as part of its democracy.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa says since the advent of democracy, South Africa had made progress.

"It's not a [makeshift] democracy."  

He said the ANC turned the fortunes of the country around - from the apartheid regime's misrule to one of the best constitutions in the world.

- Soyiso Maliti

Ramaphosa: He says South Africa has been able to make a lot of progress, he mentions that includes democracy.

He says this is a democracy that works and not many people enjoy this kind of democracy.

- Bongekile Macupe

Ramaphosa: In 2024 elections we will go beyond the past 30 years.

We will focus on the future of our people. We will focus on six critical areas. He mentions job creation, invest in our people, defend democracy and advance freedom.

We will continue to build a better Africa and the world. The ANC is looking at the next 30 years; we are not looking in the past. We are not only looking at next five years.

- Bongekile Macupe

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has declared they are coming after Western Cape.

"Western Cape is coming back," he says.

Ramaphosa's utterance comes at the heels of polls indicating that the DA's grip on the province is slipping.

- Siyamtanda Capa

Ramaphosa: Over the past 30 years people have been under the government of the ANC, the ANC has been building.

The ANC has been leading being guided by the Freedom Charter that was written by our stalwarts.

- Bongekile Macupe

Switching between isiZulu, English and SeSotho, Ramaphosa says the country had come a long way and seen "a lot" in the past three decades.

- Soyiso Maliti

He again emphasises that whether ANC detractors "like it or not", KwaZulu-Natal people love the ANC.  

He notes the presence of all the provinces.

"The Western Cape is returning because the ANC has seen that it's only the ANC that worked for them."    

- Soyiso Maliti

"Our people will see that the ANC is the only one they should choose," Ramaphosa says.  

He adds that "you've seen with your own eyes that KZN is the home of the ANC".

- Soyiso Maliti