Issued by: African National Congress
ANC STATEMENT ON NP ALLEGATIONS ON RDP COUNCIL
The ANC rejects the suggestion by the NP's Piet Coetzer that the ANC owes an explanation for the existence of its RDP Council.
The Reconstruction and Development Programme was developed by the ANC and its allies prior to the 1994 elections, and was subsequently adopted by the Government of National Unity. The ANC - as with any other party - is well within its rights to establish a forum to develop policy approaches and monitor their implementaion. We would be surprised if the NP and other parties do not have similar processes of their own.
The RDP Council is a forum of a broad range of progressive organisations of civil society. They include community based organisations, non governmental organisations, church and cultural groups etc. If fact all most of these organisations are associated with t he original formulation of the RDP document. We all share a common commitment to a people driven and people centred RDP.
The ANC has absolutely no intention of subverting the due processes of government. We will however continue to provide policy direction to the ANC's elected representatives in parliament and government. The participation of MInister without Portfolio Jay Naidoo within this council is therefore perfectly legitimate - as is the participation of any other ANC minister, member of parliament or member.
The ANC rejects unequivocally claims that government money is being used to fund the organisation's internal processes, or that the ANC is seeking to use the RDP for party-political purposes.
The RDP is the creation of the ANC and the democratic movement. It represents the single-most important vehicle for the alleviation of poverty in South Africa, the creation of jobs, the provision of housing and the democratisation of society. In seeking to give direction to this programme the ANC is guilty of nothing. If anything, it is demonstrating its commitment to realising the mandate it was given by the overwhelming majority of South Africans.
Issued by Department of Information and Publicity P O Box 61884, Marshalltown, 2107,
18 January 1996.