EFF statement condemning the proposal to privatise Onderstepoort Biological Products
24 October 2024
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) strongly condemns the Democratic Alliance's (DA) reckless proposal to privatise Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), a critical national asset tasked with manufacturing animal vaccines for South Africa and intemational markets. This betrayal of public trust occurred in the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, where the DA sought to sneak in a resolution allowing private entities to manufacture vaccines—an outrageous suggestion that seeks to undermine the OBP and its vital role in safeguarding public health.
Furthermore, during a committee meeting following an oversight visit to the OBP, the DA shockingly discouraged the OBP board from defending its intellectual property rights, falsely claiming it would be a waste of money. This blatant attempt to clear the way for private corporations to enter the vaccine manufacturing space is nothing more than an underhanded effort to sabotage a state-owned entity and hand over control of vaccine production to profit-driven interests. The DA's proposal demonstrates its continued allegiance to capitalist interests at the expense of the public good.
The DA's Minister of Agriculture, Steenhuisen, has also taken a hostile stance against the newly appointed OBP board, showing no effort to help the entity overcome the challenges it faces. Instead, the DA sees privatisation as the only option—a position we reject outright. The OBP is the only state-owned entity responsible for vaccine manufacturing in the country and must be protected and supported at all costs. Its work is too critical to be left in the hands of profit-driven corporations whose primary concern is their bottom line.
We must also point out the ANC's failure to protect the OBP. Under the previous board, R500 million was mismanaged, and while law enforcement agencies and the new board are now working to address this corruption, ANC members in the committee have remained silent, aligning themselves with the Government of National Unity (GNU) agenda of selling off state assets. Their silence is a disgrace and a betrayal of the people.
It seems that Ramaphosa has handed over Pravin's spear to the DA and if allowed to continue, the DA will surpass even the ANC in dismantling state-owned entities. Make no mistake—this will not serve the interests of our people, nor will it contribute to economic growth. The DA is already pushing for slave wages and inhumane working conditions, designed solely to enrich white capital, while the majority of South Africans are left to suffer under exploitation and poverty. This agenda is about deepening inequality and entrenching white economic power at the expense of the black working class.
Furthermore, privatisation is not, and never will be, the answer for a developing country like South Africa. Open markets come at the risk of diminishing the state's role as a key employer, leading to massive job losses, as we have already witnessed with South African Airways, Denel, and the South African Post Office. The devastating consequences of these privatisation attempts have rippled through the economy, seeing thousands of workers left unemployed and losing their hard-eamed pensions. Our state assets must, therefore, be preserved and strengthened, not sold off to the highest bidder, to ensure that they continue to serve the people and protect the economy.
The EFF will not stand by and allow the privatisation of the OBP or any other state asset under the guise of the GNU's neoliberal agenda. We will use every platform available in Parliament to fight this decision and ensure that the OBP remains in public hands, fully funded, and equipped to fulfil its critical mandate of protecting South Africa's agricultural sector and public health through vaccine production.
Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, National Spokesperson, EFF, 24 October 2024
