The ANC plans to ensure that the practice of ‘jobs for pals” is something of the past and said it would review the government tendering system to ensure that it is not abused.
This was one of the key promises made by ANC president Jacob Zuma in presenting the party’s election manifesto on Saturday afternoon.
Zuma will on Monday hear whether he will be recharged on several counts of corruption, fraud and racketeering when the Supreme Court of Appeal makes a finding on this matter.
Zuma addressed an estimated 70 000 ANC supporters who gathered at the East London Absa stadium and the Jan Smuts stadium.
‘The ANC will step up measures in the fight against corruption within its ranks and the state. This will include measures to review the tendering system, to ensure that ANC members in business, public servants and elected representatives do not abuse the state for corrupt practices. It is imperative to ensure that politicians and civil servants do not tamper with the adjudication of tenders. Measures will be taken to ensure transparent process of the tendering system as well as ensuring much stronger accountability of the public servants involved in tendering process.”
He also said that public servants must be deployed in ‘correct positions” and if this is not the case the government must implement measures through training and redeployment.
‘This means we don’t deploy and redeploy our friends,” Zuma said.
Zuma said state owned enterprises will play a crucial role in job creation and infrastructure development, but he steered clear of calling for the nationalisation of former state assets such as Sasol.
He treated the crowd to his trademark song Mshini Wam and danced with young female performers while displaying his singing prowess.
When he finished his speech he accidentally threw in a ‘Viva Congress of the People Viva” in between the usual slogans and had to sheepishly explain to the crowd that ‘you are the congress of the people”.
The ANC recently aborted a court battle with the breakaway Congress of the People (Cope) over the name of the new party.
Zuma also said the implementation of the child-support grant must be linked to compulsory schooling while a national health insurance system will be phased in over the next five years. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme will also be reviewed.