By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa, said the party is focusing on strengthening the country’s economy, creating new trade partners, addressing high unemployment rate and improving service delivery.
Ramaphosa addressed delegates at the party’s 114th Presidential Gala Dinner.
The gathering forms part of the build-up to the ANC 114th Anniversary Rally and celebrates the movement’s enduring commitment to unity, renewal, and service to the people of South Africa.
“The issue of unemployment keeps all of us here on the stage awake,” he said, adding that the gravity of the situation particularly troubles him personally.
“It especially keeps me awake at night in terms of trying to find solutions.”
His comments come just days after ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, said many South Africans have become passive and expect the state to deliver all services.
“We have created a situation where people sit back, you sit in the sun, and expect the state to deliver, he said, adding that this mindset was a mistake in governance.
The President acknowledged that while the government can take the lead in addressing economic challenges, it is the collaboration between the public and private sectors that will be key to resolving the unemployment crisis.
He expressed confidence in the ANC’s ability to restore public trust and deliver practical solutions to the country’s critical challenges.
Ramaphosa also praised the resilience of the South African people, saying, “I have never seen you lose heart, I have never seen you lose hope.”
Criss-crossing North West this week, ANC leaders saw first-hand the daily struggles facing residents of the platinum province, home to illegal mining, where water does not always flow, the electricity supply is intermittent, unemployment is skyrocketing and communities feel unsafe.
These problems are not unique to North West, but are common across the country – and where basic services fail, voters increasingly respond by turning away from the ANC and/or the polls.
Last year, the Auditor General’s 2023/24 report painted a bleak picture of local government, with only 41 out of 257 municipalities achieving a clean audit – about 16% of all municipalities.
Between 2019 and 2024, the former governing party’s voter support dropped by 17 percentage points nationally to 40%, leading to the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), which included the Democratic Alliance, Inkatha Freedom Party and the Patriotic Alliance. The party also failed to garner majorities in provinces such as KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Gauteng.