Zakes Hlatswayo grew up in Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal. His working background includes fieldwork for the South African Council of Churches’ youth training programmes and coordinator for the Association for Community and Rural Advancement. He is currently director for the National Land Committee an NGO that advocates land reform and restitution.
Other newly elected officials are:
First deputy president Lucas Matumadi
Second deputy president Roselyn Nyman
Treasurer Anthea Bingle
Secretary Sicelo Dyira
Sangoco, the South African Council of Churches and the South African Congress of Trade Unions have unveiled the first “people’s budget” campaign to provide an alternative to the growth, employment and redistribution macro-economic framework. The people’s budget is underpinned by four principles:
An economic growth strategy that focuses on providing strong policy support for sectors to protect and create jobs, meet the basic needs of the poor and expand exports;
A social wage that sets a floor for living standards;
The state must transform itself to strengthen democracy and the public sector; and
The state must support alternative centres of economic power through the micro enterprises linked to land reform, improved housing and investment in skills development.