Aspects of the ANC's economic policies would be changed, although "more in emphasis than in content", ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.

Mantashe was seeking to clarify remarks he made earlier to business representatives in Johannesburg which, he said, might be understood to mean that the ANC was going to change its economic policy.

Since the ANC's 52nd National Conference in Polokwane in December, the ruling party has been at pains to assure the business community that its policies will not change.

Earlier on Tuesday Mantashe told business representatives: "There are going to be changes.

"We are talking about continuity and change - a dialectical concept about building on what is working and changing what is not working."

Among areas which would be subject to change was the country's industrial policy. Instead of leaving its regulation to market forces, the government would be able to intervene and direct resources "to where they indeed must", Mantashe told the meeting.

"Industrial policy will be implemented with renewed vigour, focusing on directing investments in undeveloped and priority sectors of the economy, with special focus on SMME development."

There were other areas where there would be what could be seen as changes, "more in emphasis than in content".

These included creation and retention of decent work as a formula for sharing the benefits of economic growth.

This would contribute to employment creation while pursuing the profitability of businesses.

He said the ANC's expectation of business was that it would give the government realistic engagement. "We don't want you to be praise singers of the ANC." It wanted them to tell the party if what it was doing was wrong and what they expected of it.

Mantashe shared a platform with Wendy Luhabe, the chairperson of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), who is also the wife of former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa.

Shilowa resigned in a breakaway from the ANC with former defence minister Terror Lekota in order to start a new party.

Last week Luhabe and the IDC denied claims by the ANC Youth League that Luhabe was directing some of its funds to her husband's new political movement.

ANC Youth League spokesperson Floyd Shivambo earlier accused Luhabe of "abuse of power" of her IDC position to divert funds to the breakaway party of former ANC heavyweights Lekota and her husband, Shilowa.

Mantashe and Luhabe embraced and exchanged greetings when they arrived for the business forum, but the two sat apart.

Addressing the business representatives, Mantashe said their focus should not be on the split in the ANC, but rather on the challenges facing the country - poverty and unemployment.

Political leadership was central to South Africa meeting these challenges, but they could not be reduced to competition between political parties.

Work on poverty and unemployment had been going on for years, and could not be "reduced to the moment".

He said education and health had been identified as priorities for the next few years and that the recent cabinet shuffle proved the government's commitment on this score.

Mantashe told the businessmen the replacement of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang with Barbara Hogan as health minister had not been informed by the "love" of any individual over another, "but the call from society [to] say please do something about the health sector".

Action in the safety and security sector had been a response to a similar call "to remove the tensions that had been there for some time" and on the justice side, after the confrontations involving the National Prosecuting Authority, it was time "to bring in some fresh air".

Mantashe said the ANC was treating the latest political developments as "normal evolution" in a democracy.

Sapa

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