Umamah Bakharia

The African National Congress- ANC’s 6th national policy conference has kicked off in Nasrec, Johannesburg. The conference will run from Thursday to Sunday and is meant to review ANC policies that will serve as a trailblazer for the much anticipated 55th National Elective Conference in December.

Although, there is calm at the moment, registrations for the conference are underway at the Turffountien racecourse. This will grant members, supporters and critiques entry to the conference where the ruling party are set to address policy issues.

A understanding of a 188 page document on the approaches of transformation to develop a sustainable economy was the requirement for ANC members ahead of the conference.

This comes as South Africa faces high rates of unemployment, high costs of living, increased crime and bouts of power cuts.

However, the party will have to address the criticism of the ‘Step Aside Policy’ that was uninvited at the ANC policy conference in KZN over the past weekend by ANC KZN chairperson, Siboniso Duma.

Meanwhile, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union – NEHAWU has threated to strike at the conference on Friday, citing that ANC members have not been paid their salaries.

“The ANC has once again failed to honor and fulfil its contractual obligations by paying workers their salaries and contributing to their medical and provident fund,” reads a statement by NEHAWU. The union further adds that the ANC should be ashamed of what it has put its workers through.

The conference will officially begin tomorrow as president Cyril Ramaphosa and delegates prepare for the much anticipated policy conference.