National Chairperson comrade Gwede Mantashe,

Deputy President comrade Paul Mashatile,

Officials of the African National Congress,

Members of the NEC,

Leaders of the SACP and COSATU

Leaders of the ANCWL, ANCYL and ANCVL,

Leadership of the MK Liberation War Veterans,

Leadership of SASCO, COSAS and CONTRALESA

Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

Metro Mayors and leaders of SALGA,

Deployed Comrades

Comrades and Friends,

Fellow South Africans

Welcome to the first ANC NEC Lekgotla of 2023.

Our Makgotla bring together the political leadership and senior government officials to assess the performance of the ANC-led government against our policies and targets.

The primary aim of this Lekgotla is to track implementation of previous Makgotla decisions, develop a plan of action to operationalise the 2023 priority areas and discuss strategies to advance the interests of the people through both the government and the organisation.

This lekgotla takes place less than a month after the ANC concluded its 55th National Conference on 5 January 2023.

We also come together at a time when our country is going through some of the most challenging times in the history of our democracy.

The ANC government has made a measurable impact on the lives of South Africans and we must articulate a number of successes in improving the lives of South Africans.

Some of the more notable successes include broadening access to basic and higher education, especially through initiatives such as no-fee schools and financial aid to higher education students.

See attachments for full speech.