Addressing the media in Johannesburg on Monday, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said party president Jacob Zuma will be the only face of the ruling party's poll campaign, despite suggestions from some within the ANC-led alliance that his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, should be made the face as he is more credible than his boss.
The ANC's own internal survey paints a bleak picture as far as the party's prospect of increasing its majority is concerned, with a number of people interviewed expressing unhappiness with Zuma's leadership in both the party and the government.
With 10 months left before the 2014 elections, opposition parties are using some of Zuma's issues – including Nkandlagate and Guptagate – to attract support for their parties.
However, Mantashe was unfazed by criticism made against Zuma and said an attack on the president was an attack on the ANC.
"President Zuma is [the only] candidate for the ANC. That’s policy. It is the ANC that contest the elections, not individual candidates. The opposition takes 90% of their time discussing us. We don’t don’t do that," said Mantashe. He said if the ANC was to make any changes on its cadres deployed in government, this could only happen after the general elections.
ANC's 2009 manifesto
The ANC, according to Mantashe was not bothered by the mushrooming of the new parties like Agang SA and Economic Freedom Fighters, which were expected to eat into the ANC’s captive audience, especially in townships and rural areas.
Mantashe said he did not believe the weakening of the National Union of Mineworkers and deepening divisions within Cosatu would have any significant impact on the ANC’s election campaign.
Instead of focusing on criticism by opposition parties, Mantashe said the ANC was planning to communicate its achievements to the public for it to make an informed decision on whether or not the ANC has done well in implementing its 2009 manifesto.
Mantashe said the ANC used its national executive committee lekgotla last the weekend to make a comprehensive assessment on progress made in implementing the party’s five priority areas: crime, job creation, rural development, health and education, since 2009 and until 2013.
“The lekgotla also took time to look at our preparedness for the 2014 elections. The ANC took time to review progress made and the impact we have achieved both in entrenching democracy and transformation of society. The meeting acknowledged the centrality and relevance of the Freedom Charter as a policy framework to guide our work as well as the increasing importance of the national development plan to guide the national effort towards the eradication of the legacy of selective development," Mantashe said.
"As part of this exercise, we have conducted an audit of all major government projects that have been approved and funded by government. These projects are assessed to ensure that we confront the triple challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality. The meeting acknowledged progress made and agreed that all infrastructure programmes must continue being implemented to achieve progress in improving the capacity of our productive economy.
"In this regard, infrastructure provision, rural development, energy sources, fuel sufficiency, ICT as well as education and skills development were re-affirmed as critical for progress to be made moving forward. Investment by both the private and public sectors and building confidence in the economy were considered as a priority to strengthen the economy,” said Mantashe.
New task team
He said in order to fast-track progress, the national executive committee has recommended that Zuma must establish a task team that would align all initiatives and ensure effective delivery in the various sectors of the economy.
The task team, Mantashe said would complement the work of the presidential infrastructure coordinating committee.
The committee Lekgotla was given reports on energy, water and sanitation projects introduced by the Zuma’s administration since 2009. This included Medupi Power Station, Kusile Power Station, Ingula Power Station and two new dams, which were built and completed in the past five years at the De Hoop Dam in Limpopo and the Spring Grove Dam in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mantashe said other infrastructural projects were in the pipeline and would also be implemented soon.
“Clearing of the site will start at the Umzimvubu Dam in January 2014 and the work on the universities in Mpumalanga and Northern Cape will commence in November of this year.
"New schools have been built and continue to be built with special attention being given to the eradication of mud schools. Forty-nine mud schools were replaced in 2012 and a total of 101 are targeted in 2013,” said Mantashe.