Ramaphosa chooses ANC over the country – Solidarity 

1 August 2018

Trade union Solidarity said that the ANC showed its true colours as expressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa at a press conference held this afternoon.

Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute, contends that several statements made by the ruling party over the past two days made it clear that the parliamentary process was actually just for the show. “The initial resolution, as contained in the ANC’s policy documents, is still being pursued with the public hearings just being a show while the actual decision was being forced through,” Mulder said.

According to Mulder, the timing is also rather interesting: Yesterday, the IMF warned that expropriation without compensation is an investment risk while today, the ANC indicated that it did not matter to them. “The message that is being communicated to foreign investors is a matter of impossibility. The message is: ‘Come and invest with us so we can take your property without compensation at a later stage,’” Mulder said.

“Combined with the uncertainty that is prevailing in mining about the Mining Charter, new record levels of unemployment and slow economic growth it is reckless from government to simply steamroller such a detrimental policy,” Mulder added.

According to Mulder, what the public sees is reckless Black Nationalism and an ANC that is going to implement a poor, populist and racist policy at the expense of the country, its people and its future. “That also why for the ANC no rational economic argument will carry water because, for them, it is not about the economy but about race,” Mulder added.

“This was most evident in the statement Ronald Lamola made at today’s press conference, namely that land would not be expropriated willy-nilly for then black people, too, would lose their land. It is only in South Africa where racism would be seen as a mitigating circumstance,” Mulder said.

Mulder also said that the policy required a fundamental change to the Constitution and that the wording would be crucial. “Only a reckless party would change the Constitution as part of an election campaign,” Mulder indicated.

Mulder contends that the sacrificing of financial stability, investor confidence and food security for the sake of an election victory is a sign of desperation. “This desperation, combined with black nationalist thinking will lead to more racial tension and loaded rhetoric against minorities in the run-up to the election,” Mulder added.

The ANC has shown its true colours – everything and every person will be sacrificed for the sake of short term populism,” Mulder concluded.

Issued by Connie Mulder, Head: Solidarity Research Institute, 1 August 2018