ANC YL ON THE NATIONALISATION OF MINES AND RESPONSE TO ANC SG
The ANC YL is disappointed by the response of ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe to the call made by ANC YL President for the ANC government to start considering nationalisation of mines in line with the Freedom Charter. The ANC YL has a right to call for the Nationalisation of Mines, particularly in response to the global financial crisis and job losses in the mining sector.
It is not a reflection of reality that the ANC 52ND National Conference did not resolve on the issue, because Conference re-affirmed the Freedom Charter as the strategic goal of the ANC, and the Freedom Charter is categorical in affirming that "the Mineral Wealth beneath the soil, monopoly industries and banks should be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole".
The ANC YL is reviving this call because we are very concerned by the massive job losses in the mines, while the big mining corporations continue to make profits. We believe that ultimately, the people of South Africa should share and benefit from South Africa's mineral wealth. It can never be correct that our communities, particularly next to Mines, live in absolute poverty whilst the big mining corporations make big profits.
We would further like to request the SG of the ANC to directly engage with the ANC YL if he has different perspectives, and withdraw from engaging us through the media. We have since requested a meeting with officials of the ANC to discuss all these issues, but SG chooses to communicate with the ANC YL through the media.
The ANC YL will continue to canvass its views and call for the realisation of the Freedom Charter objectives and we do not need permission from anyone to think.
Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, July 2 2009
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