By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) insists Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) remains necessary to address the legacy of racial injustices that have long disadvantaged black South Africans.
ANC NEC members Zuko Godlimpi and David Masondo addressed the media on the sidelines of its ordinary NEC meeting at the Germiston Council Chambers.
The meeting is held under the theme “Year of Renewal to build a more effective, people-centred movement.”
The meeting will reflect on South Africa’s engagements at the G20, progress on the National Dialogue process, key matters before the ANC Integrity Commission, and the state of readiness for upcoming National General Council (NGC).
Godlimpi has dismissed the Democratic Alliance (DA) objections to BBBEE, saying the party “doesn’t understand the policy.”
He said, the ANC remains fully committed to BBBEE: “It remains intact. It’s not going anywhere.
“We remain committed to B-BBEE as an unavoidable path to making South Africa work for all of us.If there are ethical problems with particular instruments of implementing policy, we improve them as we go, but B-BBEE, as a strategic programme, remains intact and it’s not going anywhere.
The DA launched this Bill to replace the current BEE laws with an inclusive procurement regime.
The DA’s head of policy, Mat Cuthbert, said around 44 million South Africans are stuck in poverty, and 12 million are stranded in unemployment queues.
“This is not the inclusive country we envisioned building when we lined up to vote on 27 April 1994,” he said.
The unemployment rate for black South Africans was 36% in the last quarter of 2024, compared to 7% among white South Africans.
Earlier this week, Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) announced the unemployment rate fell to 31.9% in the third quarter, down from 33.2% in the previous one.
Godlimpi said, “Yes, we have noted that the quarterly labour force survey demonstrates that there has been an uptick in job creation in the past quarter, but the numbers are still not at the level that is required for South Africa to get out of its current chronic unemployment crisis.”
Two of South Africa’s credit ratings have been officially upgraded by international agency S&P Global Ratings, as expected, following the country’s improved fiscal position reflected in this week’s 2025 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS).
Masondo, who also serves as finance deputy minister said, South Africa’s latest credit rating upgrade is proof that the country is “on the right path.
S&P decided to upgrade both SA’s foreign currency long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘BB’ from ‘BB- and local currency long-term sovereign credit rating to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB’. Its outlook remains positive.
Masondo said the decision to revise the country’s foreign currency rating from BB minus to BB with a positive outlook reflects the country’s growth prospects.
“Based on our fiscal credibility, the S&P has come back and says ‘you are doing well insofar as managing your fiscus is concerned. Evidence shows that one of the measures used in determining your ability to service your debt is the debt to GDP.” That’s the ratio used to determine your ability to service your debt, and in the budget, we have shown that our debt to GDP is stabiling. We have realised the primary budget surplus for three years and what that means is that our revenue is higher than our expenditure, “added Masondo.
Moody’s rating agency is scheduled to review SA’s rating on 5 December 2025.
Meanwhile minister of Justice and Constitutional Development and NEC member Mmamoloko Kubayi says the party needs to go back to basics.
Kubayi was delivering a keynote address on the first day of the 7th ANC Nelson Mandela Regional Conference at the Nelson Mandela University.
She urged the organisation to return to its roots and focus on fixing community problems.
Kubayi stressed that the ANC must solve real issues facing people, like poor services and job shortages. She said leaders need to be active in their areas and known for helping, not just holding titles. This fits with the party’s renewal plan to make it more people-focused.
Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe secured a second term in a clean sweep as the ANC’s regional chair in the city.
Elsewhere the women’s league long-awaited three-day conference finally got underway in Middelburg on Friday.
The organisation has been led by task teams since the term of office of the structure elected in 2015, came to an end a few years ago.