EFF STATEMENT ON ONE CAPITAL CITY AND STATE-OWNED PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY

13 February 2016

The EFF welcomes the announcement by the current illegitimate President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, during the his State of the Nation Address (“SONA”) that Parliament should be relocated to Pretoria in order to create one capital city. The EFF has consistently raised this matter In Parliament and during the elections campaign as a significant cost cutting measure.

We also welcome the establishment of a state-owned pharmaceutical company, Ketla Phela, which will be mandated with the manufacturing of ARVs. The EFF however expresses concern over the limited mandated of this proposed state-owned pharmaceutical company and the fact that it was announced over two years ago that it will be a joint-venture with a Swedish company, Lonza.

Contained in the EFF Elections Manifesto is the commitment to establish a state-owned pharmaceutical company that will manufacture drugs at low cost for the people of South Africa. The EFF calls on government to ensure that the new state-owned pharmaceutical company is wholly-owned by the government and that it will produce all drugs required by patients and not only limited to producing ARVs.

The EFF warns the ANC and its cartel of tenderpreneurs not to view the relocation of parliament from Cape Town to Pretoria as another opportunity to squander state resources and to enrich politically connected individuals.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 13 February 2016