By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled the party’s 10-point economic action plan following the National Executive Committee (NEC) two-day special meeting.
The plan will guide the ANC’s policy priorities over the next 18 months as it seeks to tackle SA’s sluggish economic growth ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Ramaphosa was speaking in Boksburg on Monday at the conclusion of the party’s two-day NEC meeting.
He said the ANC’s 10-point Economic Action Plan was designed to accelerate inclusive growth, create jobs, and restore confidence in both the ANC and the state.
The plan will use electricity tariffs and investments in transmission infrastructure to drive industrial growth and ensure reliable energy supply, while fast-tracking the recovery of freight and logistics through Transnet’s recovery plan and private sector participation.
It will further rebuild the chrome and manganese industries, improve the state’s capacity to manage large infrastructure projects, and drive local economic development with a focus on townships, rural areas, and small towns.
The plan also prioritises scaling up public employment programmes, expanding support and financing for SMMEs, strengthening provincial economies outside major centres, diversifying trade partnerships under the African Continental Free Trade Area and BRICS agreements, and ensuring effective budget and macroeconomic coordination across government.
These interventions are designed to work together to stimulate growth, create jobs, and ensure that the ANC’s developmental agenda delivers real results for ordinary South Africans.
Crucially, the ANC NEC resolved to set up an Economic War Room in the Presidency, a monitoring structure that will track delivery across government departments, publish progress reports, and ensure accountability.
He said sound institutional governance is also important for the success of the ANC’s plans to grow the economy.
Ramaphosa said the NEC reaffirmed the ANC’s commitment to professionalising the public service and rebuilding state-owned enterprises, which have been crippled by mismanagement and corruption.
The NEC also endorsed stronger oversight mechanisms within municipalities and provincial structures, linking local economic development and infrastructure spending to national growth targets.
Ramaphosa promised that the country’s trade partners will be diversified, while participation is strengthened in the African Continental Free Trade Area and he assured that the impact of tariff and non-tariff barriers will be addressed.