EFF STATEMENT ON TITO MBOWENI'S RIGHT WING AND REACTIONARY ECONOMIC POLICY POSITIONS ON SAA AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN RESERVE BANK
Friday, 02 November, 2018
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the reactionary and right-wing policy articulations of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. Whilst he was reluctant to articulate definitive policy positions whilst in South Africa, he has now gained some chicken audacity whilst in New York to articulate policy positions that are decidedly reactionary and even against the policy positions of his own political party.
On SAA, Tito Mboweni called for the closing of South African Airways, despite the clear efforts to revive the airline into stability and its strategic nature in South Africa's economy and nation as a whole. Whilst we appreciate the difficulties confronting the airline, we believe that there is a possibility to revive the airline, make it accessible to many South Africans. SAA, and its subsidiaries such as Mango should be positioned to be the most affordable and dependable form of public transport for all South Africans. With the levels of road accidents and carnage, a national airline should be a permanent safe solution to South Africa's long-distance public transport crisis.
On the South African Reserve Bank, Tito Mboweni arrogantly describes those who are rightfully calling for the Nationalisation of the Central Bank as "uninformed". It is utter arrogance and rubbish for leaders, particularly Ministers to label those who hold different views to them as "uninformed", more so when those doing so are blinded by right wing ideological misinformation.
It is a fact that globally, there are less than 10 Central Banks in the world with private shareholders. In the current form, South African Reserve Bank has private shareholders, and majority are white people. It is clear from the articulations of Tito Mboweni that the intention is to keep South Africa's financial system and banks as a whole under the ownership and total control by the white minorities, who gained access to ownership and control through colonialism and apartheid.
The EFF has tabled a Private Member's Bill under Commander in Chief and President Julius Malema and believe that Parliament should pass the Bill into an Act of Parliament. The EFF's call for the Nationalisation of the SARB does not say that its autonomy as established in the Constitution should be abolished. The EFF calls on the ruling party to manage the Neo-liberal ego of Tito Mboweni because it is becoming apparent that he believes he is a paragon of economic thoughts and policy, who can defy even collective mandates and resolutions of his political party. It is only fools who will do the same thing time and again and expect different outcomes.
The dismal failure of the ANC's economic policy is evidenced by the high levels of unemployment, poverty, inequalities and unmanageable public debt. The first 24 years of the ANC's rule has demonstrated beyond any doubt that Neo liberal policies are not a solution to South Africa's perennial developmental challenges. Despite the egoistic Minister of Finance is trying to trivialize the long overdue economic policy and ownership changes.
The EFF calls on the South African Government to do everything in its power to salvage SAA and to support the Private Members' Bill that will remove private shareholders from the SARB. These are revolutionary reforms that will lead to real economic emancipation and sovereignty because as things stand, South Africa's economy continues to be owned and controlled by foreign interests and white minority interests. Those who seek to maintain and protect these interests, like Tito Mboweni is doing, should be exposed and isolated as reactionary forces that do not deserve to lead in any capacity.
All Leaders who still believe that White Monopoly Capitalist interests should be protected and celebrated as heroes in South Africa are not part of an economically emancipated future.
Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 2 November 2018
