No major shift in policy: Zuma
21 December 2007
There is no reason why the local or international business community should be uneasy over South Africa's economic policy going forward, says Jacob Zuma, the newly elected leader of the country's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC).
The SA Press Assocation (Sapa) reports that Zuma, in his first public address as ANC president, told delegates to the party's national conference in Polokwane on Thursday that "various resolutions" had been taken at the conference which would guide the party on the way forward.
"ANC policies, including economic policies that have been adopted at this conference, do not indicate a fundamental shift from the policies that the ANC has adopted since it has come into power," Zuma told delegates at the conference.
"There is therefore no reason why the domestic or international business community - or any other sector - should be uneasy."
According to Sapa, Zuma met with various business groupings at home and abroad in the lead-up to the conference in a bid to allay such fears, making it clear that South Africa needed more foreign and domestic investment, and urging the domestic business community to invest in the economy in order to encourage its international counterparts to do the same.
At the same time, Sapa reports, Zuma said the ANC remained fully committed to broad-based black economic empowerment as a means of increasing participation in the economy
"While encouraging the creation of a conducive environment for investment, we remain cautious not to compromise the national democratic revolution, which is our guiding philosophy in policy formulation and implementation," Zuma said.
"Our alliance partners [the Congress of SA Trade Unions and the SA Communist Party] are key stakeholders in policy development and implementation. We will be able to continue to work together as a community, business and labour, to find workable solutions."
SAinfo reporter
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