Johannesburg - ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has opened the ANC NEC meeting which began on Friday at Birchwood Hotel where members of the party are expected to debate and resolve some of the issues of national importance. Mbalula addressed members of the media during the first day of the three-day meeting.
The meeting which ends on Sunday is expected to finally resolve the Eskom crisis and pave the way for the country’s energy trajectory, following the appointment of the Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa who was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa when he reconfigured his cabinet last month.
Ahead of the general election in 2024, Mbalula said the time for cheap political talk has come to an end as the ANC undergoes yet another renewal programme. He said key to the country’s growth is the issue of energy and infrastructure which are areas of importance and greater priority which the weekend-long meeting aims to resolve.
“There also cannot be any prosperity, if our energy crises are not addressed. As we speak, the Economic Transformation Committee (ETC) is briefing the NEC, following the political overview of the President. We will not be second guessed, thus the NEC subcommittee and the minister will brief you on the outcomes of our engagements,” he told members of the media.
“Of course the time for talk has long gone and we are an ANC in action. We will, therefore, spend some time considering key areas we need to unlock to ensure greater and faster growth. These partially hinge on a functional and quality infrastructure, including rail, road, ICT and social infrastructure,” he said.
Mbalula added that some of the big issues on the agenda include challenges to the logistics system, including rail, road, air and the under-performance of the country’s ports, as well as lawlessness and crime which has also impacted on infrastructure.
“This cannot be achieved in the context of lawlessness and increasing crime. Whereas, we must redouble our efforts to apprehend and keep criminals in jail. We must not divorce the crime levels to international balance of forces which seek to see all progressive forces in the world failing,” he said.