Indians favoured, says ANCYL

THE ANC Youth League’s KwaZulu-Natal elective conference is expected to close tomorrow with an attack on the provincial government for favouring Indian business people over blacks.

eThekwini region spokesperson Thulisa Ndlela, who had been asked by the league’s provincial secretary, Thanduxolo Sabelo, to speak to the media on behalf of the province, said there was growing concern that Indian business owners were being given advantages over their black counterparts by the provincial government.

“Thanduxolo spoke unequivocally during the eThekwini regional general council held in Moses Mabhida Stadium (on Thursday) in preparation for this conference about the issue of Indians dominating the government deals both in eThekwini and in the province,” said Ndlela.

He said that Sabelo, who was expected to be elected unopposed, would warn the delegates about Indian business owners dominating the province’s economy.

He said the league was also concerned about other government tenders, such as construction, the majority of which were awarded to Indians and “very few blacks”.

Also expected to come under fire from the youth league is Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan for allegedly suggesting that radical economic transformation be put on hold because the country’s economy was battling.

Ndlela quoted Gordhan as saying this in an interview on eNCA before he delivered his national Budget speech in Parliament on Wednesday.

“Gordhan seems to be pleasing big business at the expense of the poor,” Ndlela said.

“He argues that we must suspend the struggle for radical economic transformation.

“The question we ask is that not so long ago the country had economic growth for 10 years under (then president) Thabo Mbeki, which Cosatu called joblessness economic growth because that growth meant nothing to us. Instead, it benefited big businesses who made more money every year.”

ANC Youth League president Collen Maine also addressed the conference.