Shabangu and Manuel out of order, SASCO

The South African Students Congress (SASCO) has noted with disappointment comments on nationalisation attributed to Ministers Susan Shabangu and Trevor Manuel. At the Mining Indaba held this week the Minister in the Presidency, Trevor Manuel and Minister of Mineral Resources Susan Shabangu reassured the captains of industries that nationalisation of the mines will not happen. These Ministers have consistently arrogated themselves as security guards at the gates of white monopoly capital and neo-liberalism.

Ministers Shabangu and Trevor Manuel must be reminded once more that they are not the final arbiter on the discussion on nationalisation of the mines. In the Mining Indaba last year, Minister Shabangu boldly declared that nationalisation would not happen in her life time. We found it offensive that whereas ANC structures and mass democratic movement in general are yet to engage the ANC research report on nationalisation, Shabangu and Manuel have already jumped the gun to propagate for the so-called ‘resource nationalism'.

As far as we are concerned, the ANC has not taken a decision on whether or not mines should be nationalised. It is therefore incorrect of Ministers Shabangu and Manuel to reassure capitalists that nationalisation is off the agenda whereas there is no decision on the matter. As SASCO, we will constructively engage the ANC report on nationalisation when released for discussion. We will continue to fearlessly advance our view that mines and other commanding heights of the economy must be nationalised as a step towards socialisation of means of production.

Statement issued by Ngoako Selamolela, SASCO President, and Themba Masondo, SASCO Secretary General, February 8 2012

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