Why should South Africans vote for the ANC? The final State of the Nation Address (Sona) of the current administration was given by President Cyril Ramaphosa last Thursday in Cape Town.
In addition to reviewing the final five years of the current administration, the Sona address was noteworthy since it was given during an election year.
Anniversary of period marked by trial and triumph
South Africans will be going to the polls to choose a new administration in a matter of months.
These elections are being held in the year that South Africa celebrates its 30th anniversary of achieving democracy. An event that sparked the process of reconstructing our nation after decades of colonial conquest and apartheid.
It has been a journey of trial and triumph. The achievements and shortcomings of the ANC-led government have been the subject of intense debate.
Although the discourse has been constructive, acknowledging the numerous accomplishments of the past 30 years, the ANC-led administration has also come under fire. Some of the criticism has been warranted, such as when it comes to the slow rate of change. This has made the ongoing structural disparities worse.
Furthermore, the land and agricultural question has not been sufficiently resolved. This criticism is valid, but it needs to be taken in context and with an understanding of the local and international factors. These factors have influenced the development of the nation’s democracy.
Racially divided nation
The criticism must acknowledge that the nation the ANC-led government inherited in 1994 was racially divided.
It had also seen decades of uneven progress. The geopolitics that have established a neoliberal path that keeps impeding the development of the developing world have made this worse.
These conditions coexist with the state’s internal shortcomings. They established the conditions for the emergence of issues that millions of South Africans are concerned about.
The great accomplishments of the last 30 years shouldn’t be diminished by these difficulties.
Pro-poor policies
All South Africans, especially those on the margins of society, have seen significant improvements in their quality of life.
This is because of the pro-poor policies that the ANC-led government created and put into effect during this time.
Many people are unsure about who to vote for and why, as the general election approaches. This is a crucial issue to think about. Because casting a ballot involves making decisions about one’s own future.
Also the future of this nation. This is in addition to exercising one’s democratic rights. Casting a ballot is a way to show one’s independence. In my well-considered view, the ANC can and should be trusted with this right to self-determination. There are many reasons to vote for the ANC.
In 1994, the ANC-led government implemented the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) policy. This saw the building of more than 4.7 million new homes with full title deeds.
Restored dignity of disenfranchised citizens
The total consequence of this is that it has restored dignity to many black families. These families had faced landlessness and were disenfranchised under Nationalist Party rule.
Black people were prohibited from owning land under the regime. Housing was anchored on the migrant labour system. This is where the government built a few houses for the migrant workers.
It issued them with permits to occupy the houses while they worked. But as soon as one was no longer productive, they would be removed and have their permits taken. And a new worker would be brought in.
Social grants
Another policy linked to the RDP is social welfare. Approximately 18 million South Africans and refugees receive social grants in various forms under the ANC-led government.
These include child grants, old age grants, disability grants, and child-headed family grants. Also included is the Social Relief of Distress Grant.
It has cushioned the most vulnerable of our people since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Universal healthcare
The ANC-led administration offers universal healthcare and has upgraded public health facilities.
All South Africans are guaranteed equal treatment in all national healthcare institutions. This is thanks to the party’s National Health Insurance (NHI). This is in line with the recognition that healthcare is a fundamental human right.
In addition to healthcare, significant strides have been made to ensure that the doors of learning are open.
This is particularly true for previously disadvantaged people. The policy of no-fee schools has been implemented in over 70% of the public schools to date.
This is strengthened through the provision of free textbooks, scholar transport, and feeding schemes for learners at schools.
Access to tertiary education
This has given even the impoverished a fighting chance in a world where economies are increasingly becoming knowledge-based. Additionally, the ANC-led government introduced the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to fund tertiary education. Today, NSFAS has a budget of just over R46 billion.
This is to ensure that a student who, in a different time and place, could never have accessed higher education is now able to. In addition, two new universities have been established by the ANC-led government. The University of Mpumalanga is in Mbombela, and the Sol Plaatjie University is in Kimberley.
These universities are now a lifeline to the local economy in the said provinces. They are built in provinces that historically did not have universities. Two additional universities, one in Hammanskraal, specialise in crime detection and prevention.
Another is in the city of Ekurhuleni, specialising in science, innovation, and technology. These are in the planning and development stages.
Access to electricity supply
South Africa is faced with a load-shedding crisis that is affecting businesses and households.
The catastrophic effects of loadshedding are undeniable, but there is much to be said about the condition of the energy supply in the country. The apartheid regime built Eskom, the largest producer of electricity in Africa.
It was built for the sole purpose of supplying white-owned institutions. These are commercial and agricultural enterprises, institutions, and the white minority.
With the advent of democracy, Eskom has been extended to enable widespread access and the provision of power. Today, more than 90% of households in the country have access to electricity.
In addition to this, the ANC-led government is building new power plants and introducing renewables. This is in order to sustain this universal access. The project includes the provision of water and sanitary facilities.
Access to clean water
Presently, more than 90% of the population has access to clean, piped water. This is compared to less than 46% at the onset of democracy in 1994. One can make a good case for the deteriorating quality of the water.
But there are critical interventions that are being made by the national government.
These are to ensure that municipalities adhere to the standards that will ensure a blue-drop status. And this is for the entire country’s drinking water.
Employment equity
The ANC-led government has introduced many other progressive policies, such as the basic condition of employment. It has also set a minimum wage to protect workers. These interventions, alongside collective bargaining mechanisms, have ensured better working conditions for the working class.
The same government has championed policies that give access to opportunities for the previously marginalised. These include affirmative action, black economic empowerment (BEE), and the industrial policy action plan.
Also, SMME development and support will benefit previously marginalised individuals and communities. These are only some of the inroads that have been made over the last 30 years.
Now that its mandate has been extended, the ANC will keep advocating for everyone to live better lives. For this reason, South Africans should give the party an opportunity at the polls to continue redressing historical injustices.
• Mzwandile Masina is a member of the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC).
