Noting the cumulative problems in the country that directly affect the people, Ramaphosa expressed his belief that the ruling party, the ANC, is facing what is likely to be one of the most difficult elections in its history.
According to the President, this is a consequence of ballast, such as unemployment, which he describes as unacceptably high and which primarily affects young people.
He also pointed to the national electricity crisis, which continues to hamper economic growth and new investment and affect services.
Added to this, he added, is the high level of violence, which mainly affects women and children, and racism, a phenomenon that persists and is slowing down the progress of democracy, the President said
However, he stressed that by taking action now, we must send a clear signal to voters that the ANC is taking all necessary steps to address these challenges.
He noted that we are particularly concerned with unemployment, rising living costs, crime and instability, and the existence of deficient services.
In his speech, Ramaphosa paid particular attention to the task of solving the energy crisis and ending the blackouts, an issue he described as one of the ANC’s “most immediate and pressing challenges”.
Referring to the issue of internal party politics, the President assured that the ongoing process of renewal and restructuring of the ANC is irreversible and irrevocable. It is an existential issue for us, he stressed.
During the 55th National Conference in December 2022, he had already emphasized that although as an organization we “made mistakes and took some wrong steps”, we reaffirm the ANC’s raison d’être: to serve the people of South Africa.
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