Time to jettison the NDR ideology holding South Africa hostage

US President Donald Trump has recently criticised two of South Africa’s domestic policies: the Expropriation Act of 2024 and race-based black economic empowerment (BEE) rules. Both these policies are deeply damaging in themselves. Both also look set to stand in the way of much needed trade and investment agreements between the US and South Africa.  

Worse still, both policies have particularly destructive goals – to advance the ANC’s National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and take South Africa closer to a socialist future.

These are some of the issues underpinning a new report from the Institute of Race Relations (IRR), entitled Enemy of Growth: The Ideology Holding South Africa Hostage. Written by IRR head of policy research Dr Anthea Jeffery, the report summarises and updates her 2023 book on the NDR and South Africa’s Countdown to Socialism.

Jeffery’s report is to be launched at 10am on Wednesday 28 May 2025 via an online webinar. Here, Jeffery and Hermann Pretorius, IRR Head of Strategic Communications, will discuss:

• NDR goals and how the Expropriation Act and race-based BEE advance them;
• how the ANC is using the Government of National Unity to “defend” the NDR;
• how far the NDR has proceeded in many different spheres; and
• some new NDR policies now in the pipeline.

The NDR is the key to understanding why ANC policies are so destructive, governance is so poor, corruption is so great, and the economy is floundering so badly. It is the key, in short, to comprehending ANC rule since 1994.

The NDR is nevertheless still largely ignored by the commentariat, which limits awareness of its importance. This must change if the country is to jettison the ideology now holding it hostage. Jeffery’s report is part of what is needed to build understanding and break the general silence on the NDR.

Media contact: Anthea Jeffery, IRR Head of Policy Research Tel: +27 11 482 7221 ; Email: ajj@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris, Head of Media Tel: +2766 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za