African National Congress (ANC)

Founded: 1912.

South Africa's governing party since 1994 and the party of liberation from apartheid. Its 2024 election manifesto, "Let's Do More, Together", sets out six priorities: jobs, industrialisation, infrastructure, the cost of living, public services and defending democracy. It commits to using expropriation legislation to accelerate land reform, to employment equity and black industrialist support, and to implementing the National Health Insurance.

Official website: https://www.anc1912.org.za/

Not yet reviewed by a human. These positions were placed by reading the sources below; each one links to the document it came from.

15 of 15 axes have a cited position. Axes without a published position are marked as such and are never scored.

Positions

Economy: state or market — -1.00

State-led: the state owns or directs key industries, sets prices and plans investment.Market-led: private ownership, deregulation, lower taxes and a smaller state.

Leaning towards: state-led: the state owns or directs key industries, sets prices and plans investment.

Align monetary, fiscal and trade policy, along with transformation of the financial sector, to meet basic needs and support job creation and industrialisation.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 2: Build our industries to achieve an inclusive economy (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Land reform and expropriation — -1.50

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.Strong property rights; redistribution only through willing-buyer/willing-seller and the courts.

Expropriation without compensation and state custodianship of land.

More effectively use provisions in the Constitution and expropriation legislation to accelerate land reform and redistribution to reduce asset inequality and protect security of tenure, improve food security and agricultural production, promote rural and urban development and enable greater access to housing.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 2: Build our industries to achieve an inclusive economy (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

BEE and race-based redress — -1.75

Race-based redress expanded: BEE, employment equity and ownership targets enforced.Race-based redress phased out or replaced by non-racial, class-based or need-based measures.

Race-based redress expanded: BEE, employment equity and ownership targets enforced.

Continue to promote and monitor employment equity to ensure that black people, women and persons with disabilities are represented in the public and private sectors, in the professions and artisanal sectors towards the growth of a vibrant, non-racial and non-sexist middle strata

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 1: Put South Africa to work: Our Jobs Plan (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Labour market — -1.00

Strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.Flexible labour market: easier hiring and dismissal, fewer statutory protections, incentives for employers.

Leaning towards: strong worker protection: higher minimum wages, collective bargaining, limits on labour broking and dismissal.

Ensure the National Minimum Wage increases in line with inflation and ensure compliance.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 3: Tackle the high cost of living - Strengthen comprehensive social security (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Healthcare and NHI — -1.75

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.Private provision: medical schemes and market competition carry most of the system, with a smaller public role.

Universal public health care: a publicly funded and publicly provided National Health Insurance with a smaller private sector.

Implement the National Health Insurance to reduce the cost of medical care, especially for the poor.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 3: Tackle the high cost of living - Reduce the cost of living (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Education — -0.75

State-directed schooling: a central curriculum, expanded free public education and tighter regulation of independent schools.Parental choice: independent schools, charter-type models and market mechanisms in education.

Leaning towards: state-directed schooling: a central curriculum, expanded free public education and tighter regulation of independent schools.

Ensure universal access to quality early child development by 2030

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 4: Invest in people - Improve education and skills (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Crime and policing — -1.00

Enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.Prevention-first: community policing, restorative justice, and civil-liberties safeguards.

Leaning towards: enforcement-first: more police and soldiers on the streets, harsher sentences, fewer procedural limits on the state.

Modernise policing with more frontline police officers.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 5: Defend democracy and advance freedom - Keeping our homes and streets safe, protect our borders (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Immigration — -1.50

Restrictive: tighter borders, limits on foreign nationals, deportation of undocumented migrants.Open: freer movement, rights for migrants, and regional integration.

Restrictive: tighter borders, limits on foreign nationals, deportation of undocumented migrants.

Regulate employment of foreign workers in line with the National Labour Migration Policy, to give preference to South African job-seekers and act against employment and exploitation of undocumented persons.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 5: Defend democracy and advance freedom - Immigration (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Energy and climate — +0.25

Rapid decarbonisation: coal phase-out, renewable generation and climate commitments prioritised.Energy security first: continued coal, gas or nuclear generation and a slower transition.

Between the two poles

Develop gas, nuclear and hydro power projects for increased energy generation.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 2: Build our industries to achieve an inclusive economy - Invest in infrastructure (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Federalism and devolution — -1.00

Centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.Devolved or federal: more powers, budgets and discretion for provinces and municipalities.

Leaning towards: centralised: a unitary state where national government sets policy and lower tiers have limited discretion.

Give national and provincial governments greater responsibilities to support municipalities that struggle to provide services to communities.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 4: Invest in people (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Traditional leadership — -0.50

Expanded role: traditional leaders hold formal powers over governance, land and customary law.Limited role: elected structures and individual constitutional rights take precedence over customary authority.

Between the two poles

Collaborate with traditional leadership on local development and land management.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 4: Invest in people - Ensure local government delivers (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Social values — +1.00

Conservative: law reflects religious or traditional morality, with narrower reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.Liberal: secular law, with expanded gender, reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights.

Leaning towards: liberal: secular law, with expanded gender, reproductive and lgbtq+ rights.

Promote and defend the rights of all South Africans against racism, sexism, gender-based violence, homophobia, discrimination and other intolerances.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 5: Defend democracy and advance freedom (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Foreign policy — -1.50

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.Western-aligned: closer ties with the United States, the European Union and other liberal democracies.

Non-aligned and Global South: closer ties with BRICS, Russia, China and Palestine, with distance from Western powers.

Advance progressive internationalism and solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Western Sahara, Cuba and others.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 6: Build a better Africa and World (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Anti-corruption and governance — -1.00

Expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.Smaller state machinery: fewer new bodies and regulations, with corruption handled through existing criminal law and the courts.

Leaning towards: expanded oversight: independent anti-corruption bodies with stronger investigative powers, asset forfeiture and procurement transparency.

Establish the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity within the NPA with investigating powers.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 5: Defend democracy and advance freedom - Fight Corruption (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)

Local service delivery — -1.25

Centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.Municipal self-reliance: councils and communities decide, with private or community providers used where they work better.

Leaning towards: centralised delivery: national standards and national or provincial intervention where councils fail.

Ensure municipalities fulfil their basic obligations to citizens: fix potholes, remove refuse regularly, keep communities clean and green, provide clean water and sanitation.

Let's Do More, Together: ANC 2024 Elections Manifesto , Priority 4: Invest in people - Ensure local government delivers (manifesto, 2024-02-24; accessed 2026-10-18)