Unveiling the ANC's policies at a rally in Johannesburg's Soweto township, Thabo Mbeki said the party will remain true to its promise of a "a better life for all".

That was the rallying cry when President Mandela came to power in 1994, and Mr Mbeki said this time, the ANC will step up the pace of change.

President Mandela has made his last appearance in parliament

He said: "We have started, we have made progress. What we must do now is to move forward faster.

"We must make sure more people get better houses, we must make sure more people get better health care.

"We must build more clinics, train more nurses, we must make sure the price of medicine goes down, we must build more classrooms and train more teachers to make sure our children get a better education."

Thabo Mbeki ended the speech by saying the party is committed to faster job creation.

BBC Johannesburg Correspondent Greg Barrow says the ANC has been criticised for promising too much in its first term of government, but it appears no less ambitious this time around.

Mandelas steal the show

Although Mr Mbeki did most of the talking, President Mandela stole the show with an unscheduled appearance and brought the crowd to their feet, singing and waving ANC flags.

The president, who has already handed over the party leadership to his deputy, is retiring from government.

At the rally, Mr Mbeki was drowned out again halfway into his speech when President Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela arrived and was cheered by the crowd.