EFF reiterates calls for nationalisation of mines

THE EFF has reiterated its call for the nationalisation of the mines, banks and other strategic sectors of the economy.

In a virtual address on the party’s seven cardinal pillars yesterday, the EFF’s national chairperson Veronica Mente said that during the negotiations for a democratic South Africa, the nationalisation of the mines and banks was projected as an agenda that would make the country poorer and result in a jobs bloodbath.

Because of that nationalisation was shelved.

Mente said that had compromised the position of the Freedom Charter, which led to the majority of the country’s population receiving political power instead of economic power, which was at the core of ensuring equality in South Africa.

On July 26, the red berets will commemorate their seventh birthday following their formation in July 2013.

Mente called for the nationalisation of mines and other strategic sectors, in which the transfer from private ownership to public ownership could take place with or without compensation.

The notion that the nationalisation of the mines and banks would make the country poorer and that that would see a jobs bloodbath had to be done away with.

Mente called for a renewed school curriculum that would address the needs of the mines, and other means that would capacitate the state.

The red berets’ seven cardinal pillars include the expropriation of land without compensation for equitable redistribution, the nationalisation of mines, banks and other strategic sectors of the South African economy, building state and government capacity, and free quality education, healthcare, housing and sanitation.

The EFF also called for massive protected industrial development, massive investment in the development of the African economy, and an open, accountable, corrupt-free government and society, without fear of conviction by state agencies.

Mente said that the party would pursue its seven cardinal pillars concurrently in order to achieve its goals.

“You cannot, after you have expropriated the land, not decolonise education and take away the biology of locusts and flies, and entrench a new system when you nationalise the mines… that is going to address the needs of the refineries, the mines and the needs for capacitating the state,” said Mente.

She said that when the country transitioned to a democratic state the pacts that were made by the ANC and the then-National Party government had compromised the position of the Freedom Charter.

“We can only achieve economic power if we nationalise the mines and have control of them,” said Mente.