We shouldn’t aspire to change white monopoly capital to black monopoly capital - Mthethwa
Johannesburg - South Africans should focus less on the colour of monopoly capital and rather focus on contesting monopoly capital in all its forms, the ANC NEC member Nathi Mthethwa said on Monday.
"We shouldn’t be aspiring to change white monopoly capital to black monopoly capital. The uncompetitive nature of monopoly capital makes us raise an issue of contestation, whether it will be black or white," Mthethwa told reporters during a media briefing.
He was briefing reporters on the governing party’s discussion documents on its proposed strategy and plans which had been presented to more than 3 000 delegates attending the ANC’s 5th national policy conference at Nasrec in Johannesburg.
"We also warned comrades who were talking much about white monopoly capital and said to them, there’s nothing wrong with them expressing that, but they must understand that they are expressing a form not the content, the content is monopoly capital."
Mthethwa said South Africa’s historical legacy of colonialism played a major role in why monopoly capital was associated with the white race and this could not be denied.
"It’s a fallacy for anybody to say that there is no white monopoly capital in South Africa. It’s basically denying our understanding and how we characterise South Africa as a colonialism of a special type," he said.
South Africa's struggle had been about dismantling national oppression based on race, class and gender.
That was why the liberation movement was now focusing on the second phase of transition which was radical socio-economic transformation, he said.
Corruption and coalition
On corruption, Mthethwa said the party was facing "a concoction of issues", including corruption.
He admitted that there were problems with corruption that the party had not dealt with decisively, but said South Africans had capable institutions which could tackle those issues.
"I think we have necessary mechanisms in South Africa of dealing with such.
"Corruption is being fought in South Africa, there are institutions geared [and] established precisely for that.
"The question is whether we are doing enough or not, that can be argued, but I think that we didn’t create institutions to fight crime for its sake."
Also read: ANC leadership united at conference - Zuma On the possibility of discussing potential coalitions ahead of the 2019 national elections following their loss of three major cities, Mthethwa said talk of coalitions would be "defeatist".
"We have not spoken about coalitions. The fact of the matter is that the ANC has to get its house in order for its own good and for the good of the people in South Africa.
"We don’t believe that we should be pre-occupying ourselves with coalitions."
He said it would not only be a defeatist stance to take but added that the ANC already knew what the answers to their problems were.
"Those answers are in our hands and we should actually do that which we say is our weakness correct them, reclaim the lost ground, reconnect with our people.
"It’s in our hands if we want to be partial about it, the possibility is that we will partially lose support. If we want to go all out and address that which we say ourselves [is the problem], we will then be able to turn the corner. So it’s up to us."
