Business Day *Nationalisation call a ploy to bail out business in trouble — NUM* *Sam Mkokeli, Business Day, Johannesburg, 14 October 2010*THE call for nationalising the mines was not a genuine debate, but was driven by youth leaders who were conniving with business people whose mining operations were in trouble following the global recession, the president of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Senzeni Zokwana, said yesterday.
The African National Congress (ANC) has instructed its national executive committee to thoroughly investigate models of more state intervention in mining, and nationalisation in particular.
Mr Zokwana’s statements yesterday set the likely tone of the union’s contribution to the debate.
A final decision will be taken at the ANC’s policy and elective conferences in 2012.
The NUM and the ANC Youth League have clashed recently over the call to nationalise the mines , with the league accusing the union of failing mine workers.
Mr Zokwana told reporters in Johannesburg yesterday the league’s relationship with business people who supported the call for nationalisation was worrisome as it was a “unity of opposites”.
“You have got people who are young and who should be looking at the interests of students, schooling and the rest, going around with people who are already in business calling for ‘nationalisation’.”
He said the call came after many “aspiring tenderpreneurs and entrepreneurs burnt their finger”.
“We know very well that some of those people could not finance their (empowerment) agreements. The belief that this may be a ploy to bail them out rises if you hear the voices of others saying we can sell our mines to the state ….”
At the ANC’s national general council last month, the call for nationalisation was championed by the league and backed by ANC leaders linked to mining. Big mining players Tokyo Sexwale and Bridgette Radebe came out in support of more state intervention in the industry.
“The Freedom Charter calls for the nationalisation of mineral rights below the soil. There is no mention of nationalisation there,” Mr Zokwana said. Mineral rights were already held by the state.
He said the nationalisation call had been used to blackmail ANC leaders. “People seem to be rushing to have an agreement, and use this as a threat to leaders, saying if you don’t support this, you may not see 2012,” he said. Mr Zokwana said a sober debate on the mechanism of nationalisation was required. “We refuse to enter into a debate where insults are being exchanged.”
League spokesman Floyd Shivambu said the NUM was defending the mining shares it owns through its investment arms.
“Nationalisation of mines will impact on those who give them crumbs of mining profits. So their reactionary views are in line with the fact that as leadership, they are benefiting from mines, at the expense of workers’ sweat and blood.”
He said the ANC has historically interpreted the relevant clause of the Freedom Charter to mean “nationalisation of the mines”. “Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Chief Albert Luthuli and many leaders of the ANC affirmed this perspective,” he said.
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