ANC’s January 8 statement to focus on GBV, Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic and gender-based violence (GBV) will take up a a substantial part of the ANC’s January 8 statement, to be virtually delivered by party president Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday at 7pm.

Briefing the media on Thursday ahead of the governing party’s 109th birthday on Friday, ANC head of organising Nomvula Mokonyane said the statement would also deal with government’s plans on the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine and provide a broad framework on economic recovery, all of which Ramaphosa would detail during his State of the Nation Address later in the year.

Mokonyane said during the national executive committee (NEC) meeting convened on Wednesday to deal with the celebrations on Friday, the ministers of health and cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma respectively, as well as Ramaphosa, provided a detailed briefing on the envisioned plan to rollout the vaccine.

On the misinformation shared by an ANC councillor in KwaZulu-Natal about links between 5G networks and Covid-19 and comments reportedly made by the party’s Gauteng secretary, Jacob Khawe, that Africans should reject vaccines not developed in their home continent, Mokonyane said it was important to communicate accurate information and to address myths and distortions.

Mokonyane added that during the NEC meeting on Wednesday, Mkhize did mention that like any other medicines, the vaccine may have side effects.

Another issue raised at the NEC meeting was that a “total collapse” or “shutdown” of the economy was not be an option, and that all stakeholders had to play a role in minimising the spread of Covid-19 to avoid this, Mokonyane said.

The issue of the party’s secretary-general, Ace Magashule, stepping aside as he faces corruption charges was not discussed, Mokonyane said.

Build-up activities leading to the January 8 statement on Friday include a Peter Mokoba memorial lecture to be delivered by ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile on Thursday evening, and a Charlotte Maxeke dialogue hosted by the ANC Women’s League at around noon.

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