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Last week the third ANC National General Council (NGC) concluded its business in Durban. The NGC is a meeting of branches of the ANC which is convened in-between National Conferences, to review and evaluate the implementation of ANC National Conference resolutions.

It furthermore takes stock of the state of the organization and assesses progress made in realizing government priorities as outlined in the election manifesto. The NGC is a place of learning for the entire organization, bringing together in one forum delegates from branches, regional and provincial structures, members of the NEC, Veterans, the Women and the Youth Leagues, Members of Parliament, alliance and MDM delegates and Cadres working across a number of sectors.

The third NGC was the biggest political school ever with 2000 branch delegates and additional 800 seats for invited guests. The theme of this NGC was towards hundred years of selfless struggle. This theme captures the character and the traditions of the African National Congress. The traditions that has been passed on from one generation to another.

The objectives of the NGC could be summarised as follows:
To ensure that members and cadres of the movement understand the character and nature of the ANC as a revolutionary movement, as well as their responsibilities as cadres of the movement.
To build a common understanding of the present context in which we operate- nationally, on the continent and globally, and the current tasks of the ANC as leader of the national Democratic forces and an agent for change.
To develop a common understanding of the contending views in our society, the motive forces and how as a movement we engage with these views in our society and more effectively mobilize and organize the motive forces.
The National General Council further confirmed:
The character of the ANC derives from the historical injustice of the colonial and apartheid legacy;
The ongoing need for the mobilization of the social forces and strata that objectively stand to gain from the National Democratic Revolution;
The organizational culture and traditions of the movement that evolved over the decades;
The biasness of our movement towards the poor.
The ANC is a product of an historical epoch. The ANC emerged as a product of a historical moment in the evolution of resistance against colonialism. At each stage of development of this historical movement, the ANC leadership and cadreship have been able to adapt to the demands of the moment. Thus the organization has evolved as a people's movement in theory and in practice, recognizing that leadership role is earned, and not decreed.

In its approach to the country's problems, the ANC has striven for sustainable solutions. The organizational forms and practices of the ANC have always been based on democratic centralism. Steadfastness to principle has been one of the defining characteristic of the ANC. It has shunned shortcuts to the solutions of complex social issues: to pursue what is considered correct even when such ideas were not popular. It consistently sought to win over society to its point of view, evolving into a genuine vanguard of the NDR.

The ANC also learnt to identify and seize decisive moments. Thus it had to temper impatience during periods of quantitative accumulation of conditions and factors, and to impel decisive action when the combined elements of qualitative movement forward were evident. Ensuring unity in action amongst the motive forces.

The NGC held in Durban over a week ago was no different in character and substance from the First National General Council held in Port Elizabeth in the year 2000. We have spent most of our time at this NGC in open and frank discussions, both self-critical and constructive, something that reflects the unique character of the ANC as a transparent, revolutionary and people centred movement.

Our long traditions of sharpening the thrust of our offensive against apartheid colonialism and its legacy whilst maintaining the unity of our movement and the people of our country through continuous debate is one that we are so immensely proud of.

This gathering looked at a number of issues amongst them the following:
This NGC was very much about the renewal of the organization and the restoration of its character and values ˆ as an agent for change.
Questions of cohesion, unity, discipline, respect and the restoration of order in the organization were the common themes in the NGC.
The NGC set the rules of engagement, robust debates must continue, but has to occur within the appropriate structures and forums, so that the necessary decorum can be maintained in the organization.
In engaging in these debates, members of the ANC should use the art of persuasion to win people over. That is the essence of the organisation's internal democracy. We must seek to influence and be ready to be influenced.
This is the true culture which has earned our movement dignity and respect, from its members as well as its friends and foes.
The NGC has directed the ANC leadership to be firm, decisive and consistent in the application of discipline and in rooting out factionalist and divisive tendencies, including within the NEC itself.
The NGC has noted that the success of our revolution has in the past, and will in the future, depend largely on the strength and cohesion of the ANC led alliance.
As part of taking forward the work of this biggest political school, and the imvuselelo campaign, all of us from branches and other structures must go back and report accurately, the proceedings of this historic NGC.
As we start with preparations for our centenary of the ANC in the year 2012, the delegates at the NGC on behalf of our supporters and members, re-dedicated ourselves to build the ANC as the primary agent for change in the ongoing struggle for the radical transformation of South Africa.

Our frank and open discussions at this NGC has reinforced the bonds of comradeship and ensured a deeper understanding of the challenges that the ANC and the country as a whole face in this period. We therefore emerged from this NGC strengthened as an organization, inspired as its membership and reinforced in our commitment to mobilize the South African people to realize the goal of a better life.

The core of the forces to change our society for the better is the revolutionary alliance of the ANC, SACP and COSATU. The NGC affirmed the profound need and critical role of the Tripartite Alliance. Collectively and individually, the components of the alliance continue to play a critical role in the quest for freedom, justice and social equity.

It helped the organization to proactively identify weaknesses, bottlenecks and blockages that could hinder the faster implementation and realization of ANC policies. The power lies with the branches. Indeed that principle has been re-affirmed. Building on the success of Polokwane. We have agreed that the conduct of ANC members must never consciously or unconsciously undermine the standing of the ANC in public or its unity.

The NGC took note of the progress made since Polokwane and commended the leadership for the work well done, while recognizing that there is still a lot of work that lie ahead.

All provinces and structures will implement the decision of the NGC that the Imvuselelo Campaign which currently is being undertaken by the President and the Deputy President, should also be taken up by NEC members and other senior leaders throughout the country. Coupled with this is the million-membership campaign by the time the ANC turns hundred years old.

Our Youth League has now correctly tabled the issue of nationalization. It has thus become an issue to be processed by the whole organization, and is no longer a Youth League issue. The NEC as directed by the NGC will undertake research in this regard as part of the recommendation to the national policy conference and subsequently taken to the 53rd National Conference in 2012.

The NEC approach to this matter will be broad, holistic and comprehensive, and will take into consideration various issues in an effort to help take forward our growth path and economic recovery. It will also look at existing solutions, for example the fact that mineral resources already reside with the state according to law. Mineral and petroleum wealth are recognized by law as national assets, a common heritage that belong to all in South Africa, with the state as a custodian.

There is no policy shift or change arising from the NGC, with regard to our economic policy and other policies. Therefore, there should be no ambiguity and confusion around this matter. We need to debunk the myth perpetuated by some armchair revolutionaries who are not even part of our structures, that by submitting this matter to further research, the ANC has killed the initiative by the Youth League.

The African National Congress is committed to the resolutions it takes in its conferences, this one will be no exception. The matter will be pursued to its logical conclusion. Whichever way the research points on this matter will guide the movement. Perhaps at this point it is important to quote from that great Chinese revolutionary Mao Tse Tung, when he says "investigation maybe likened to the long months of pregnancy, and solving a problem to the day of birth. To investigate a problem is, indeed, to solve it".

The NGC re-affirmed the commitment of the ANC to speed up the process of social transformation. The programme to improve the provision of health facilities and services; to improve the quality of, and access to education at all levels. The ANC is committed to people centred and people driven transformation. As we have always asserted, the people are their own liberators. As such we emerge from the NGC inspired further to reach out to communities and their sectoral and other formations to take part in the struggle for change.

At the centre of our programme is the urgent need to entrench the ethos of discipline, and caring among our members, our people and our country as a whole. The National General Council has galvanized our organization to mobilize the people for an overwhelming victory in the coming local government elections.