Solidariteit Blog

Nog ‘n rondte wat Malema wen. As mens kyk na die DMR verklaring en Malema se eis in Mei het hy sy sin gekry. Die minister was ook altyd uitgesproke teen nasionalisering. Nou het sy na neutraal beweeg.

Malema calls for moratorium on mining licences

By: Sapa
26th May 2010
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CAPE TOWN – ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has urged an immediate moratorium on the issuing of mining licences to prevent private companies from “looting” mines before they were nationalised, which he said was inevitable.
He confidently predicted that placing all mining rights and resources in state hands would become ruling party policy in 2012, contradicting reassurances from President Jacob Zuma that nationalisation was not on the ANC’s agenda.
“We are in the process of policy formation in the ANC,” he told Parliament’s portfolio committee on mineral resources on Wednesday during a first day of public hearings about establishing a state-owned mining company.
“I sit in the National Executive Committee of the ANC. I know nationalisation is on the agenda of the ANC and it is only me who can tell you… nationalisation will be resolved as a policy position in 2012 at the centenary conference of the ANC in Mangaung.”
Malema, who described the ANCYL as “the body of opinion that drives ANC policy”, said the government was obliged to nationalise mining to make up for the state’s lack of revenue and to enable it to address the plight of the poor. He stressed that he was not calling for existing mining licences to be revoked.
“You don’t tamper with what people own now. You go find a clear space.”
However, he said a moratorium was necessary to prevent mining houses from “hoarding” licences and maximising their operations and profits in anticipation of a policy change.
“We must stop the looting now.”
Denouncing capitalism as “evil”, Malema said that once South Africa’s minerals were in state hands, private companies would be invited to mine them in partnership with the government, but would not be allowed to own more than 40% of any venture.
“All mineral rights should be transferred to the state-owned mining company, which will from time to time make partnerships with private corporations, where the state will hold a minimum of 60% shares, and for the remainder of the 40%, the private corporations should pay royalties and taxes.”
He warned mining companies that they should not expect to turn a profit of more than 10%, adding that if this were to scare them off, Chinese investors would rush to take their place.
“That partner must come with an added value to the state, we must look at what are you bringing and how will this benefit our people.
“That 40% must include all the BEE (black-economic empowerment) policies we are speaking about. A 40% partner must have BEE, must have women, must have disabled, must have youth, must then pay tax, must then pay royalties.
“So that private ownership leaves with the very minimum out of this because we want the profit made out of these minerals to remain in South Africa, benefiting the people of South Africa.
“And at the end you leave with what? Maybe 10%, 5%. We are not for maximising profit for personal accumulation of individuals. We are for the whole resources spent on South Africans.”
His views were questioned by opposition MPs, but were warmly welcomed by those from the ANC, who said Parliament should move swiftly to make the resolution to create a State-owned mining company taken at the ANC’s Polokwane conference in 2007 a reality