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[cid:[email protected]] Radical Economic Transformation A CU e-mail contribution from Cde Siphelo Ngcwangu in a debate about President Jacob Zuma's written reply to a question on Radical Economic Transformation Comrades, To me, Radical Economic Transformation as a principle has been there in the ANC since we adopted the Freedom Charter in 1955. It's essentially not 'new', and was further nuanced in many other ANC resolutions including the Kabwe conference papers we discussed earlier this year. Polokwane 2007 emphasised a need for a break from the conservative GEAR macro-economic framework the ANC had pursued throughout the late 90s as well rejecting the assumptions of the 'State and Social Transformation' document of 1996. The response from Cdes Nzimande and Cronin in their paper 'We need transformation, not a balancing act' showed a strong critique of the SST paper as well as the growing notion of the ANC building a 'neutral' state along the lines of the Giddens-inspired 'Third Way'. It's within this brief background and vicissitudes that the ANC has moved towards Radical Economic Transformation as a guiding policy. There is a broad acceptance across all persuasions of the ANC broad church that a more radical posture in economic policy is needed, and would in content involve: * changing the structure and demography of economic ownership patterns * re-engaging with the country's global economic relations, and a clear challenge to western imperialism * clearer agenda to include more black people in productive economic activity * changing the direction of the economy from being an enclave economy within a dependency based 'Minerals Energy Complex' * nationalisation of key strategic assets, and the creation of a stronger public role in the South African economy, e.g. a State Bank, a state insurance company etc.. (also see Malikane's piece on this matter) * putting back into the hands of the people the ownership of mines and related industries with a stronger role for local communities. I have said before on CU that the attempts by the likes of Cde Joel Netshithenze (see Poverty of Radicalism paper) to dismiss the 'Going to the Root' document of the SACP are signs that the social democratic centrists in the ANC will stop at nothing to oppose radical economic proposals. My principle view is that some cadres in the ANC conceptualise inequality, and efforts of dealing with it, to a 'distributive' lens rather, and they fail to appreciate that unequal, racialised ownership patterns are actually a source of the inequalities we still have. Distributive measures and the 'social wage' only minimize the problem, but do not deal with its core source. There are many other issues that shape the RET, but in the main they are anchored around these that I have raised. What is interesting is that those who have positioned themselves as opponents of the RET have not shown what exactly it is that they opposed, besides saying that it's a 'Gupta' or 'Bell Pottinger' concept... as if the ANC hasn't been thinking about these issues. What we need is to avoid losing focus on the matters, and deal with content, not personalities. Regards, Siphelo ________________________________ [http://imageshack.com/a/img32/381/6b28.png] E-mail Disclaimer: The information contained in this communication is confidential and may be legal privileged. It is intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed and others authorised to received it. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in reliance of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. 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