South Africa’s right to determine its own policies “is non-negotiable, even in the midst of a crisis,” Ace Magashule, secretary-general of the ruling African National Congress, and Bheki Ntshalintshali, general secretary of Congress of South African Trade Unions, and Solly Mapaila, first deputy general secretary of the South African Communist Party, said in an emailed statement on Monday.
The three officials urged the central bank to play a bigger role in reviving the economy, which policy makers expect may contract as much as 4% this year. They also urged the government to explore how to secure more sources of domestic funding, including tapping retirement funds.
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There have been several reports in the local media that a faction within the ANC led by Magashule has been plotting to oust President Cyril Ramaphosa, who won control of the party by a thin margin in late 2017. Magashule has denied the allegations. The faction has also clashed with Mboweni and the Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago on economic policy decisions.
South Africa is mid-way way through a three-week national lockdown and has sealed off its borders in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 1,655 people so far and claimed the lives of 11.