NATIONALISATION OF MINES AND LAND RESTITUTION I could not resist the current debate, nor should I say bickering about the issue of nationalisation of mines and taking back of land without compensation. The issue has been subject of bickering, political point scoring and expression of intellectual analytic capacity.
Current leaders from opposition(DA, Freedom Front Plus), aligned(Cosatu and SACP) and component (ANC Youth League) have been at each others cases for what some call failure to have balls, while some accusing others of populism and opportunism. The current state of affairs (unemployment, poverty, lack of quality education, collapsing health care) that we find ourselves in. These having been confessed by some national executive committee members of the ruling party, tells us the ordinary South Africans that the timing can not be better than now. The issue of mineral resources and land ownership, are some of the most critical issues to any struggle for freedom and self determination of any nation, this is a FACT. Some of us grew up listening to the politicians like, Nelson Mandela,Steve Biko, Zephania Mothopeng, Govan Mbekiand many other respected leaders of our revolution. The two issues have always been at the forefront of the agenda for freedom and economic emancipation. During the late 80s and early 90s the political classes we attended, these two issues were always emphasised as critical to freedom and economic emancipation. In both, ANC, PAC, AZAPO and SACP political documents and policies you find these two issues as critical. The question that comes to my mind now after having followed the current bickering is, when did things change after we got political freedom? The last time I remember the issue of land and mineral resources was in the core part of even the world renowned ANC political document, The Freedom Charter. ANC Youth (ANCYL) League Presindent Julius Malema has pronounced on these issues on behalf of the ANCYL as part of their conference resolution. In Polokwane, the ANC pronounced on these issues as part of their resolutions. The PAC had long pronounced on these issues in many of its conference resolutions. The SACP too has pronounced on these issues in not less than one of its conferences. Now that it is being raised again by ANCYL, it becomes a problem, panic buttons are switched on from all corners. The first people to press the panic buttons are those who have benefited and continue to benefit from the land and economic armed robbery that was made by the Bothas, Malans, Verwoerds and De Klerks of that time. The most surprising, if not shocking is the fact that you even hear the panic buttons switched on within the leadership of the alliance, ANC, SACP and Cosatu. This issue does not need a political scientist or a professor of philosophy to understand. People came from wherever they came from, the history we were taught tell us that that they came from Holland and United Kingdom, massacred our forefathers, took the land and ownership of mineral resources, subjected our forefathers to institutionalised slavery in mines and farms. That is the legacy we continue to live with and under even today. Now tell me, who is fooling who here? Here is a simple example, you take my house with force then when I want to take it back you start panicking and saying I am a demagogue and a populist. It is as simple as that, the fact that you decided to paint, extend or renovate my house during the time you called it yours, is not my problem, we did not agree for you to take in the first place. What is being raised by the ANCYL is spot on. Please note that I am saying ANCYL not Julius Malema. The question we are supposed to ask or start dealing with is how do we implement this bold resolution, because it is inevitable. We need to look at issues that led to failure of the process of nationalisation and taking back of land in other countries and learn from those, while we design the process to suit the South African context. The triumph of truth can never be averted, we were disposed and continue to be, we want what belongs to us back, what is so bad about that? The ANC mother body and the SACP as a vanguard for the poor and the working class with Cosatu must start serious discussions with the Youth League on how to implement these two issues. We do not need a bickering or political point scoring on an issue as important as this one. South Africaneeds to move on these issues as in yesterday, the impatience from the masses is starting to show. And what they must always remember is that, they do not have all the time in the world to do it. To those who are panicking because the five farms their forefathers left for them or the diamond and gold they have been digging from stolen mines will soon be taken away, I am sorry this is the reality they need to start accepting. I challenge those within the ANC, SACP and Cosatu and PAC to comment, give perspective or criticise this submission. -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. 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