Speech by the Economic Freedom Fighters' Chief Whip, Floyd Shivambu MP, in the debate on President Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation Address, Parliament, June 19 2014

Mr N F SHIVAMBU: Hon Chair of the House, we are not going to degenerate, as has been the case, particularly from this side. However, we are going to use this opportunity to present a proper interpretation of the capitalist crisis that is defining South Africa today.

Firstly, South Africa is the richest country in the world in terms of mineral resources, both precious and industrial metals as well as minerals. Yet despite that fact, South Africa experiences the highest levels of poverty, at 44% as per your own statistics.

Secondly, for many years Brazil was the most unequal society in the world until they introduced the minimum wage which was at 72% above inflation and implemented the programme called Bolsa Familia, hon Dlamini. Then Brazil was no longer the most unequal society in the world.

Thirdly, we have the most devastating levels of unemployment. That is the reality. Seven million people who are looking for jobs cannot find them, yet they are people who are capable of working and who can contribute to the expansion of South African society. This is happening despite the fact that we have mineral resources beneath our soil - the richest country in the whole world in terms of mineral resources. Why are we there? Why are we in such a situation? It is because the liberation movement pursued a principle that said, seek ye first political power and the rest shall follow. That is what happened.

Twenty years later they have come to realise that we have been pursuing a wrong programme, and they say that we are now in pursuit of the second phase. I am saying that we are in pursuit of radical, economic transformation which does not have a consistent interpretation. Hon Radebe says that it's about the creation of the black bourgeoisie or the comprador bourgeoisie, and he says that proudly here. We know that there is no such thing as a patriotic black bourgeoisie. We know what happened in Lonmin and Marikana, and what they did in Marikana. They are here.

Hon Davies speaks about the creation of black industrialists and says we must create jobs within the capitalist world economy that is not allowing new industrial countries to develop. There has never been a country in the entire world that has successfully industrialised without state leadership and the deliberate protection of its own industries. [Applause.] That is the reality. I thought the Department of Trade and Industry ...

Maybe hon Mzwandile will help ...

I thought that your proximity to what is called hetorodox economics would enlighten you in terms of how you position your industrial policy, but you are not doing so. You still want to implement an industrial policy within a capitalist framework. It is not going to be successful. That is the reality.

Firstly, you are not in control of industrial inputs. As the Minister you have complained here that you do not have access to the platinum that you need to make cell energy and all the other things you spoke about, like catalytic converters. You do not have ownership of the basic mineral resources. What is difficult about the state owning mineral resources in order to beneficiate and industrialise it and create many job opportunities? [Applause.] What is difficult about that?

The CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members in the gallery, you are not supposed to clap your hands!

Mr N F SHIVAMBU: You have political power. You have political power. Why can't you use political power to transform society for the better? That is the only thing that will be able to take us forward. Also, why do people come here and speak about radical economic transformation and quote a dictionary? I mean really, a dictionary! This is a person who is in the central committee of the SA Communist Party. Why don't you make reference to the communist manifesto? Why don't you make reference to the Freedom Charter, which states that the mineral wealth beneath the soil, the monopoly industries and banks shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole?

You come here and say radical, and rely on the dictionary to define what radical means to you. You want to call yourself a revolutionary yet we have to take you seriously. This is one of the things that we must deal with. Let us not lose the class perspective and ideological analysis when dealing with issues of development because once we lose proper revolutionary theory and tools of analysis any revolution is going to fail. It's a basic dictum which the liberation movement is supposed to be aware of.

The EFF is going to be the government of South Africa. That is the reality. [Applause.] Hon Chief Whip, when we are the government of South Africa we are not going to shift from this side. We are not going to fight over seats. We are going to remain on the left and there are those of the DA who are going to join the ANC because they speak the same things. They are going to migrate to the other side and advocate the same capitalist NDP. The NDP is like Growth, Employment and Redistribution, Gear, and Accelerated and Shared Growth-SA, Asgisa.

It says, let us grow the economy and the rest shall follow afterwards. It has never happened anywhere. Hon Minister of Trade and Industry, you would know that the last time any economy grew was because of the increase in global commodity prices. That did not create even one additional job. So, you can achieve your 5% growth but you won't grow ... [Inaudible.] ... if you do not expand industries in a clearly defined way.

Thank you very much. We will educate each other more when we are allocated time. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Source: Unrevised transcript, Hansard.

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