THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE IS DISGUSTED BY MISLEADING AND PATHETIC LIES SPREAD BY THE CHAMBER OF MINES.
The ANC Youth League is disgusted by misleading and pathetic lies spread by the Chamber of Mines that Nationalisation has never succeeded anywhere in the world. In their Annual General Meeting, some Sipho Nkosi is reported to have said on behalf of his white mining bosses that, "Simple, indisputable facts, which show conclusively that nationalisation has never been an enduring, successful system anywhere in the world where it has been implemented, are readily available" (see report). Mr. Nkosi is reported to have further said, "An antiquated and discredited practice, nationalisation has impoverished many countries -- several of them in Africa".
These remarks by Sipho Nkosi are not only disgusting; they are totally not a reflection a reality and meant to mislead South African society. They are however not shocking because they come from the Chamber of Mines, an organisation of Mines bosses who have been the pillar of racist apartheid repression and enslavement of the black majority and Africans in particular for many decades.
The Chamber of Mines is known historically to have supported apartheid legislations and measures that treated black people and Africans in particular as sub-humans. They therefore hold no moral standing to say anything constructive in the rebuilding of South Africa in the post democratic dispensation, even through fronted individuals who do not know anything about the history of repression, segregation and brutal enslavement of our people in the Mines.
Now coming to the pathetic lies spread by Sipho Nkosi (purported President of the Chamber of Mines), it should be categorically stated that IT IS NOT TRUE that Nationalisation has never succeeded in countries across the world. State ownership and control has in actual fact been the cornerstone of many successful industrial countries across, and a simple a simple study of the history of industrialisation will liberate Nkosi from such ignorance.
The ANC Youth League has made public many case studies of countries that have greatly succeeded with Nationalisation across the world. But because the only thing Sipho Nkosi is capable of reading is a cheque book of monies that are generated from the hard work of underpaid Mineworkers, he has been ignorant to readily available information and going around spreading lies to please his Masters.
Amongst the information we gave is that of a company called Petroleum de Venezuela (PDVSA), which is the State Owned Oil Company in Venezuela. In Venezuela, the nationalised oil company, Petroleum de Venezuela (PDVSA) accounts for 32% of GDP, 50% of government revenue and 80% of export revenues.
The revenue generated is utilised to fund social development programmes, particularly the provision of free quality education for all. Between 2004 and 2010 PDVSA contributed $61.4 billion to social development funds. The central social services in Venezuela such as quality free education and healthcare are funded out of the funds generated from nationalised oil company.
The ANC Youth League also publicly made mention of a company called CODELCO in Chile. In Chile, between 1991 and 2003, ten largest foreign companies paid $164m a year; but state-owned CODELCO paid $764m a year - almost five times more. CODELCO is directly run by the State with a representative Board chaired by the Minister of Mining and includes the Minister of Finance, Workers Representatives, Supervisors Representatives and other experts in Copper Mining.
In more than one occasion, the ANC Youth League has made mention of other case-studies such Norway, Botswana and Namibia, and gave scientific evidence on why nationalized Mines in Zambia could not succeed.
Sipho Nkosi and the Chamber of Mines have never provided scientific evidence to prove the ANC Youth League wrong on all these examples, but have the courage of saying there is readily available information that nationalisation has never worked in any country.
Now that we have once again educated Sipho Nkosi and the Chamber of Mines about the basics of successful cases of nationalisation, we call on him and this historically evil Chamber of Mines to publicly provide information on what they claim are failed cases of nationalisation. Empty statements and false alarms will never divert sober and reasoned discussion on Nationalisation of Mines.
As information to Mr. Nkosi and the Chamber of Mines, please be aware that currently, Nationalisation of Mines and other strategic sectors of the South African economy is on the agenda of the ANC. After investigations and research, the ANC will present the best model in the Policy Conference and 53rd National Conference on how South Africa's minerals are utilised for the benefit of all people, not few bosses represented in the reactionary Chamber of Mines. If Sipho Nkosi wants to protect his salary from Mines' bosses, he must not go around spreading lies because such will further degenerate his integrity as a person.
Statement issued by Floyd Shivambu, ANC Youth League spokesperson, November 3 2010
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