The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) said on Wednesday that South Africa will not yield to “opportunistic foreign pressures” that seek to coerce it into reversing its economic transformation agenda or see it compromise its sovereignty.

This was in response to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) criticism of Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, following the US’s decision to impose tariffs on South African exports.

Last week, the DA blamed Tau and Lamola for failing to secure a trade deal with the US, which will see tariffs of 30% levied on a slew of South African goods and produce from Thursday.

The DA called for comprehensive red tape reduction and deregulation across the entirety of the South African economy.

“This will allow South Africa to pursue bold and far-reaching reforms, including pivoting from blunt instruments such as ownership under the guise of broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE), towards genuine investment and social upliftment under equity equivalence programmes which would enable stronger foreign direct investment,” it said.

Speaking during a media briefing on the outcomes of the ANC NEC meeting, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula described the DA’s statement as a “reckless” call for deregulation and abandonment of BBBEE.

Mbalula said the DA’s posture reflected a “deeply entrenched neo-imperialist mindset”, that he said sought to subordinate South Africa’s sovereign right to map its own economic future to the interests of foreign powers and “domestic elites”.

He said the ANC NEC fully supported the “decisive interventions” announced by Tau and Lamola, pointing out that these measures reflected a “coherent and strategic approach” to defending South Africa’s economic sovereignty while prioritising the livelihoods of South Africans.

“…the comprehensive support framework, including the establishment of an Export Support Desk and mobilisation of targeted industrial resilience funds, demonstrates a government that is proactive in shielding its productive sectors from external economic shocks,” Mbalula stated.

He added that these actions formed part of a broader national effort to restructure the country’s trade relations, promote industrialisation and ensure that South Africa’s engagement in the global economy was anchored in equity, dignity, and national developmental priorities.

Meanwhile, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said during the closing session of the ANC NEC meeting held in Ekurhuleni on Monday, that government would continue its engagements with the US with a view of normalising trade relations and generally strengthening bilateral relations.

He said at the same time that South Africa should invest in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and diversify its export markets.

SOCIAL COMPACT & GNU

Meanwhile, ahead of the country's first National Convention, planned for August 15, as a precursor to the National Dialogue, Mbalula asserted that the dialogue would not displace any constitutional processes but would build a new social compact to address poverty, inequality and unemployment.

“...it will be citizen-led, inclusive, and transformative, giving the people of South Africa an opportunity to set a new direction for our future,” he said.

Last week, the Solidarity Movement claimed that the ANC’s backing of the dialogue, appeared to be a ploy to win back lost electoral support.

The Solidarity Movement previously alleged that the ANC had used such forums to “sell its policies, rather than forums where they could listen to proposals on how to adjust their unworkable policies”.

The ANC NEC also noted the comprehensive report from the Government of National Unity (GNU) Task Team, assessing the performance of the GNU since its formation immediately after the 2024 elections, identifying significant progress in the GNU’s work over the past 12 months.

The ANC NEC sees the GNU not as a permanent structure but as a “tactical necessity”.

It described the GNU as an instrument for nation-building, governance, inclusive development, and for championing the ANC’s transformation agenda, noting that the GNU was crafted to ensure stability in government, advance service delivery and drive transformation with the ANC at the helm.

The NEC resolved to reset the GNU and mandated officials to engage with current GNU partners to broaden participation, strengthen the functioning of the GNU, and give full effect to the Statement of Intent.

“Our movement will not be short-sighted nor allow opportunistic forces to manipulate this platform for narrow partisan ends. The ANC remains clear that the GNU is a bridge towards the National Democratic Society we seek to build, and it is not an end,” stated Mbalula.