ANC Discuss Business Ethics, Provinces 4
The ANC are holding an executive committee meeting today, with both Pres. Thabo Mbeki and ex-VP (but still ANC VP) Jacob Zuma attending. Among the points on the agenda are the drawing up of a document governing the ethics of business ventures involving ANC members, something which probably should have been in existence years ago.
Another interesting point is that the ANC is still discussing whether they should amalgamate certain provinces. If you thought changing the name of an airport was an administrative headache be prepared for the migraine of having entire provinces disappear. It’s clear from this talking point that the ANC is becoming more and more frustrated that service delivery is not taking place with the speed and efficiency the country requires.
The ANC, always a fan of centralisation, is beginning to look at provinces as even bigger roadblocks than before. Even ANC Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool commented on the fact that national government would prefer if the provincial governments were little more than ‘provincial administrations’. And let’s not forge the fact that we do in fact have a second house of parliament, the National Council of Provinces, which has basically been sidelined and removed from the legislative process. The ANC has expressed the feelings before that they believe a national-local government linkup could be more efficient service delivery vechile. Whether that is true or not will be the result of a very costly experiment, should they decide to carry it out.
Although in defence of (some) provinces perhaps national government should get rid of some underperforming government departments (Home Affairs, we’re looking at you) before turning their attention to the the troubles they perceive in the provinces.
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VP? Shouldn’t that read DP? Or would VP be more appropriate in this instance?
Don’t know? I just use vice- and deputy-president interchangably. Is there a semantic difference between the two terms?
Yes there is, but the distinction is not closely observed in SA. A vice-president is elected; a deputy president is appointed.
The USA has a Vice-President who is elected by the US Electoral College (of ill fame).
We have a Deputy President who is appointed by the President.
In SA many people talk of the Vice-President, and everyone knows who they mean. Or meant…
Now, a question I don’t have the answer to, but maybe someone else does: does the ANC have a vice-president or a deputy president? I think Zuma’s the ANC vice-president; that is, I doubt Mbeki has the power to fire him from his position.
Ah thanks DA Mal. I think whenever it’s been in the press they’ve referred to Zuma as Vice-President of the ANC, and Deputy-President of South Africa. I shall do so as well from now on.