The Afrikaner community played a key role in creating the new South Africa, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma said in Pretoria on Thursday.

"The Afrikaner community has played a key role in working for a new South Africa, from the historic meetings in Dakar, Senegal in the 1980s to working with us to finding a democratic settlement," Zuma said at a meeting with Afrikaner professionals and business people.

Zuma outlined a number of the ANC's plans for crime, health, education, land reform and economic policies over the next five years.

He said when it came to education, the ANC wanted to focus on language development, especially since research showed it was most effective when children began their learning in their mother tongues.

"We are worried about reports that some black children prefer English language tuition and are not too keen on mother tongues. That means we have to do a lot to promote indigenous languages."

While the ANC did not want to downplay English and Afrikaans, it did want to ensure other languages were developed and taught.

On the economy, Zuma said, vulnerable sectors such as manufacturing and mining needed to be strengthened and supported during the global financial crisis.

"This will enable us to save and grow jobs in the clothing and textile sector, as well as to strengthen the automobile and components sector, expanding the food industry and other sectors."

Emphasis on BEE

Zuma said the ANC reiterated its commitment to economic transformation policies such as broad-based black economic empowerment and affirmative action.

"We view policies [such as] these as key components of nation building, reconciliation and investment in economic growth and development."

Zuma said the ANC would be looking at ways to improve the policies' implementation to ensure more people, such as the youth, woman and the disabled benefited.

The current land redistribution programme needed to be reviewed and land reform speeded up. It was important that people who received land also received proper "after-care support".

"We also need to provide them with technical skills and financial resources to productively use the land to create sustainable livelihoods and decent work in rural areas."

The fight against HIV and Aids continued to be a priority, said Zuma.

"We have to work to reduce the rate of new HIV infections by 50 percent through an aggressive prevention campaign.

"Our government will also work to expand access to appropriate treatment, care and support to at least 80 percent of all HIV positive people and their families."

Zuma said the list of work the ANC wanted to complete was "very long".

"We will need your support to achieve these goals. We cannot work alone, South Africa belongs to all of us," he said.

Sapa

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