ANC head of the economic transformation committee Mmamoloko Kubayi has warned against campaigning for leadership positions before the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC) opens the nominations process.
Kubayi, who is also the human settlements minister, said in an interview that leaders of the organisation should be preoccupied with policy discussions instead of names.
The ANC holds its national elective conference in December, which is expected to see President Cyril Ramaphosa and his allies face a challenge from the Radical Economic Transformation forces in his bid for a second term as party president.
While there appears to be a consensus emerging that Ramaphosa should serve a second term, a scramble is taking place behind the scenes for the position of deputy president as well as five other positions, which include secretary-general and his or her deputy, treasurer-general and national chairperson.
Kubayi, who is touted for a top six position, told the Sunday World that discussions on who should be elected in December were way too early.
“The NEC hasn’t opened the discussion. I believe that if we are serious about rebuilding and renewal of the organisation, it is basic things we must do right. It is un-ANC to find a person campaigning for themselves,” she said.
“But equally, if indeed people are supported it must be anchored by the structures of the organisation. None of the structures of the organisation are having this discussion. I’m really keen to have policy discussion upfront.
“Having been in government, it is important for us to do policies that are going to rebuild this country.”
Kubayi recently emerged as the head of the party’s powerful economic transformation committee, replacing Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
She said she planned to introduce focus groups that will bring professionals to help determine the feasibility of policies when they are developed. “I do believe that the time where we should lead by rhetoric and slogans has come to an end. Right now what is needed is definite things that are going to work. My intention is to move the economic cluster away from rhetoric to more content-based and research-based types of engagements.”
She said they acknowledged that some of the policy resolutions the party adopted at its last conference in 2017 had not been implemented.
“We are doing reforms but we are not seeing the output through economic growth.”
Kubayi also weighed in on the debate on the establishment of a state bank, saying it was “do-able”.
“The issue is the resolution of the conference. Is it doable? Yes, it is. For example, in human settlements I’m looking at a human settlements bank. If you look at what we do, it is a model that China does use as well. Our interest is more to say can we get feedback from the deployees in government? When we were expected to go and develop a state bank, what were the hurdles? Why don’t we have a state bank? So that we understand whether it is within regulatory framework or legislative framework or comrades did not implement the resolution.”
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