More still needs to be done to pull many out of poverty: Ndou – SABC News

While the African National Congress (ANC)’s economic policies have gone some way to transform the local economy, more still need to be done to pull many out of poverty. That’s according to Dr Levy Ndou of the Tshwane University of Technology, speaking to SABC News.

Ndou says the ANC has made a big impact in terms of women empowerment since democracy.

As the ANC commemorates its 113th birthday, with just more than 30 years leading South Africa, experts say while a lot has been done, there is still a long way to go to solve the country’s socio-economic challenges.

The party’s economic policy documents stated it should be geared towards amongst others building a competitive, fast-growing and developing economy which creates sufficient jobs for all work seekers, redistribution of wealth, income and opportunities in favour of the poor and the historically disadvantaged and a society in which sound health, education and other services are available to all.

Dr Levy Ndou of the Tshwane University of Technology says having policies in place is not enough.

“The ANC has over the years, been able to identify the major challenges facing SA population and what the ANC has done has been to a certain extent try to come up with different policies that would be able to address the challenges facing South Africans. They came up with RDP, they came up with GEAR, they came up with ASGISA in order to deal with challenges faced by SA, and of course you have a greater portion that have been the beneficiary by the ANC.”

January 8 statement | Impact of the party’s economic policies:

Dr Lumkile Mondi of Wits University criticized the ANC for failing to fully reverse the imbalances created by the past.

“30 years later, the ANC has been dismal in terms of ensuring that the ills of the past, the marginalization of Africans, the high level of unemployment they experienced under apartheid, the access to education and many other facilities, whether its health, housing has been dismal in that regard. It has also been confirmed by the outcome of the elections on the 29th of May where many South Africans are very optimistic about the possibility of  bringing a better life for all that they have promised over the years.”

However, Dr Ndou says the ANC has been able to move at a faster pace in terms of the empowerment of women.

He says in democratic South Africa, a lot of opportunities that were previously predominantly occupied by men, are now open to women.

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