COSATU Western Cape Press Statement on a demand for a public debate with Zille

COSATU in Western Cape is calling on the Premier of Western Cape, Madam Zille to debate with COSATU Provincial Secretary, cde Tony Ehrenreich on the W Cape economy

COSATU WC is surprised about the attempts of the Premier Zille of the W Cape to demand to debate President Zuma on the economy .

The secretary of COSATU WC had invited Zille to a debate on the W Cape economy previously, after she had closed down the Provincial NEDLAC, because she does not want to engage workers on the economy.

Her orientation of the economy is exactly the dogmatic prescripts of the World Bank which has been correctly criticised by Stiglitz in his reflections of the causes of the global crisis.

Premier Zille has shown a complete lack of leadership ability in dealing with the role players in the W Cape economy.

She only engages Business and even those engagements are described by the Business leaders as superficial and without substance or alternative.

COSATU Western Cape would like to repeat it call for Zille to debate its Secretary Tony Ehrenreich on the W Cape economy and the road to prosperity and inclusion for all .

Cde Tony has described Zille political orientation, and economic policy positions as outdated Thatcherism and largely designed to defend the apartheid generational advantage of white folks in the W Cape.

She has no grasp of the economic challenges and the essential need for partnerships to build an economy that is more fair and equal.

Her silence on the Industrial relations that underpins the Lonmin / Marakan challenge is a reflection of her absence of a grasp of the challenges of the modern economy. Zille views of defending the apartheid generational advantage , at the cost of black South Africans, will see a social explosion in SA , should the desire to defend apartheid privileges and accumulation , not factor in the need for greater equality in SA .

She has never once mentioned the words equality in any of her economic statements, neither the concept of redistribution.

COSATU Western Cape reaffirms its challenge to Zille to debate with Ehrenreich on the essentials challenges of the W Cape economy in a public platform to articulate her economic vision.

Statement issued by Tony Ehrenreich, COSATU Western Cape Provincial Secretary, October 18 2012

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