Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- South Africa’s ruling African National Congress said it will boost public spending over the next five years to create more jobs and reduce poverty.

The ANC will also focus on improving education, reducing HIV infections, fighting crime and expanding its land reform program, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe, who is also head of the ANC’s Policy Unit, told reporters in Johannesburg today.

More than 800 members of the ANC and its allies in the labor unions and South African Communist Party met in Johannesburg this weekend to draw up the party’s manifesto for the 2009 elections. The Congress of South African Trade Unions and the SACP, who successfully backed Jacob Zuma’s bid to lead the ANC, are pushing the government to spend more to cut poverty and slash a 23 percent unemployment rate.

“The huge public investment that’s been started, will be accelerated,” Radebe said. “We are going to make bolder goals” to create more jobs from public spending plans.

The ANC is discussing proposals of a universal income grant, wage subsidies and extending the child support grant to 18 years, Radebe said. The election manifesto will be finalized by Dec. 12 and officially launched on Jan. 10.

The ANC will ensure that the government can fund its election promises without burdening taxpayers, Radebe said.

“There is nothing in the manifesto that hasn’t been costed,” Radebe said. “I can assure you that the ANC has no intention of bankrupting the coffers of the South African people.”

The current global financial crisis is affecting the ruling party’s ability to meet its goals, Radebe said.

“One of the most important factors impacting on our ability to respond to the challenges is the global financial crisis, which will have negative effects on production and employment.”

To contact the reporter on this story: {Nasreen Seria} at nseria@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: December 1, 2008 05:12 EST