Ladies and gentlemen of the media good morning,

Let me take this opportunity to thank the Foreign Correspondents
Association
for this interaction.

This interaction takes place just a day after we have concluded a
successful
3rd International Solidarity Conference in Tshwane, attended by about 300
delegates from around the world who were instrumental in the struggle
against apartheid.

The conference declaration makes unambiguous commitments under the theme
‘United for a progressive, better world’.
The conference has produced a framework for a progressive world order,
particularly with a call on progressive forces all over the world to
mobilise for the building of a world progressive movement.

Within this context, we remain strong advocates for international
progressive solidarity where humanity will be a centre-piece of world
governance and development.

The Conference took place in the context of the ANC’s Centenary
Celebrations
and coincided with the birth-date of former ANC President, Comrade OR
Tambo
on the 27th October, in recognition of his towering stature
internationally.
The participants paid a special tribute to Comrade Nelson Mandela as one
of the enduring symbols of the struggle for justice, human rights, peace and
reconciliation.

They also paid tribute to Comrade Fidel Castro as one of the
revolutionary icons in the fight for freedom and equity in a world free from
oppression,
exploitation and prejudice.

CENTENARY
The ANC is about to complete a year-long celebration of its Centenary,
which  acknowledged the remarkable resilience and consistency of the ANC since
its formation.

The campaign has enabled our movement to touch every corner and every
locality where the ANC exists.

The centenary flame has served as a reminder of the undying spirit and
resolve of the founding leaders of the ANC. It has resurrected the spirit
and memory of our heroes and heroines who took the apartheid system head
oN even if it meant their death.

As we are on the last mile of the stretch of centenary celebrations, our
belief in a better society has been strengthened.
 The ANC has now started a new journey towards its second 100 years. We
have done so in a position of strength, having increased the membership from
around 600 000 in 2007 at the Polokwane conference to slightly more than
1.2 million members currently.

This underpins the reality that our people still believe in the ANC and
in its ability to complete its historic task of the total emancipation of
our people.

With the increase in membership, we must now ensure that our members
understand our policies, practices, traditions and values that kept this
organisation glued together.

That exercise will be continued as it is important to keep the ANC strong
and cohesive.

As a governing party, the ANC continues to do well when it comes to
consolidating democracy and improving the quality of life.

Over the past 18 years we have consolidated democracy and have built
strong
State institutions in the executive, judiciary and the legislature to
take forward transformation.

We have extended water, electricity, sanitation, roads, health care and
other services to millions who did not have access to these services
before.

We pride ourselves in particular on having turned around the situation
with regards to HIV and AIDS.

The rate of new HIV infections looks set to decline over the coming years
and life expectancy is dramatically improving in South Africa due to
important policy interventions.

The rate of new infections has decreased from 1.4% to 0.8% in the 15-24
age
group. We now have 1.7 million South Africans on anti-retroviral
treatment
which has improved life expectancy.

We have reduced mother-to-child transmission of HIV from about 8% in 2008
to 3,5% in 2011. Remarkably, 20 million people have to date been tested for
HIV through our voluntary testing campaign.

To boost the economy and job creation in particular, our New Growth Path
promotes activity in six job driving sectors – infrastructure, mining,
tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and the green economy.

We are currently engaged in a massive infrastructure roll-out programme,
worth more than 800 billion rand over the next three years.

The programme will create jobs while changing the landscape of our
country for the better.

This is but one of many activities by government across all 34
departments, to bring about more services to our people. We are a country at work for
a better life.

Ladies and gentlemen, while sharing a few of our successes, we also have
challenges. The more we deliver services, the more the demand rises for
water, electricity, sanitation and the like.

The backlogs are huge and our people have been waiting for decades during
the apartheid period for their lives to improve.

Government has to change the way it works and that is our message in this
fourth administration. That is why we introduced the notion of
performance and delivery agreements for Ministers so that the speed and quality of
work can improve.

We have also witnessed a tragic wave of illegal violent strikes in the
past few months which have claimed many lives.

The Marikana tragedy in which 10 people were killed between the 10th and
12th, and 34 on the 16th of August, shocked the South African people and
the world at large.

These painful incidents are not what we want to see in a free and
democratic South Africa, where people are free to express themselves.

The killings brought into sharp focus the need for government to engage
the mining sector more, to ensure the implementation of the Social and Labour
Plans in the Mining Charter.

The mining companies must provide decent housing and other agreed to
basic services for the workers, in line with their licences.

We concluded an economic package a week ago with business, labour and the
community sector. The housing and other community development needs of
workers in the mining towns are being prioritised.

Mining remains the backbone of our economy and we will continue to
support the industry to make it stronger.

At the same time, the industry must not shirk its responsibility of
providing for the people who go underground to extract precious minerals.

The Marikana Commission of Inquiry has begun its work, with the mandate
of establishing the truth about what exactly happened in Marikana.

53RD NATIONAL CONFERENCE

We held our national policy conference in June, ahead of the 53rd
national conference.

We decided to discuss the policy positions leading to conference openly
and robustly as the ANC. The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that the
views and policies of the ANC can withstand public scrutiny.

 As we prepare for National Conference, we also have to contend with the
eagerness of the media and commentators to focus on perceived battles in
the ANC instead of the important policies that are to be discussed at
conference.

We must emphasise that this conference is no different from 52 others
that took place before.

The branches of the ANC exercise their constitutional rights to decide on
who should lead them.

They are busy with that exercise currently. The thoroughness ensures that
the ANC elects leadership after much debate and consideration each time,
and emerges stronger.

We wish to emphasise as well that life will certainly continue after
Mangaung. The ANC will emerge stronger, ready to lead South Africa
towards
prosperity and cohesion.

ALLIANCE

As a party in government, we have noted and do appreciate the role of
Alliance partners.

We value our Alliance with the SACP and COSATU. The Alliance partners
exercise independence of opinion within the context of our liberation
struggle.

If they do not do so, the Alliance would not add any strategic value in
ensuring that the ANC remains sensitive and vigilant to the needs of the
people.

We remain committed to this tried and tested Alliance, which we believe
is stronger currently than at any other moment in our history of struggle.

THE LEAGUES

The ANC has always attached importance to the work of its Leagues due to
the fact that they represent important constituencies.

The Leagues of the ANC have always operated within the ambit of the ANC
Constitution and advance through their respective sectors, the interests
and views of the ANC.

There may be situations where the ANC and its leagues are far apart on
any issue but through a process of discussion and persuasion, we have always
been able to close the distance.

In this regard we will continue to value and engage the ANC leagues to
ensure that their roles in the organisation are not diluted.

However, this must be characterised by high levels of discipline and
respect for the Constitution of the ANC.

MEDIA RELATIONS

The Polokwane conference of the ANC in 2007 resolved that the ANC should
examine the need for the establishment of a Media Appeals Tribunal.

This was to be done in order to strengthen, complement and support the
current self-regulatory institutions such as the Press Ombudsman or Press
Council.

The purpose was to promote the equal enjoyment of human rights by all
citizens.

In particular, the call related to the balancing of human rights in line
with section 36 of the Constitution of the Republic, the need to balance
the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media, with the right
to equality, privacy and human dignity for all.

A lot of discussion has taken place within the ANC on the matter.

We have also noted the work done by the media itself in response to the
ANC call. This has included the establishment by the Press Council of South
Africa, of the Press Freedom Commission chaired by former Chief Justice
Pius Langa, to review self-regulatory mechanisms.

In light of the above, the ANC resolved at the National Policy Conference
in June, to request Parliament to use the Press Freedom Commission report
and proposals as a basis for assessing whether anything further is required
in order to address the concerns articulated in the 2007 ANC Conference.

The view of the June policy conference was that the Press Freedom
Commission proposals have gone a long way towards addressing the issues that the ANC
drew attention to at the Polokwane conference.

Any further work should draw on this progressive advance that was
influenced by the ANC raising these issues in the public domain.

We will watch with great interest, the extent to which the media
implements the recommendations of its own Commission. That will demonstrate the
seriousness with which the recommendations are taken within the industry.

The ANC fought for media freedom and will continue doing everything in
its power to promote freedom of expression and media freedom.

At the same time, we also remind those who are privileged to have access
to the media to respect the rights of others.

Ladies and gentlemen,

South Africa as a young democracy and new nation has done remarkably well
in a short space of time.

We still have a long road to travel before we can say we have achieved
our goals of a better life for all.
But we remain on track. We are steadily moving towards the type of
society outlined in the country’s National Development Plan, where everybody has
water, electricity, sanitation and indeed basic modern services.

The ANC stands ready to continue guiding its government towards the
achievement of these life improving goals.

I thank you.