ANC sticks to mixed economy

Bloemfontein - The ANC will stay with its policy decision to retain a mixed economy, new ANC treasurer general Zweli Mkhize said on Friday. 

"This conference decided no wholesale nationalisation in South Africa," Mkhize said at a business briefing hosted by The New Age in Mangaung. 

He said the issue of nationalisation and specifically that of mines was pushed by the ANC Youth League as a policy issue to be followed and to be adopted at the national conference. 

Mkhize said the ANC and its National General Council examined the matter through research, overseas visits and discussions, and a model encompassing different forms of ownership prevailed. 

"It was analysed," he said. 

However, he said the problems in the mining sector would be looked at, as well as how mining communities would share in the wealth from this business. 

"What do they (mining houses) do for communities?" 

Mkhize said government, the mining sector and labour must look at how everybody benefits from the wealth created by the mines. 

Mkhize was supported by ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, who wanted South Africans to understand how the ANC works and debates issues as a democratic organisation. 

"It is deeply democratic; the process may seem messy, confused, may seem noisy, disruptive and disorganised," said Ramaphosa. 

"That is (how) democracy works," he said. 

Ramaphosa said government has a responsibility towards all in the country. 

"The approach is set out: people shall share in the wealth of South Africa. 

"The ANC must see to that and the state would intervene." 

He said the state had already started with a state mining company and next would be the pharmaceutical industry. 

He said the focus would be on "effective interventions". 

Ramaphosa said the South African government had come up with a very bold National Development Plan for the country. 

It should be clear that government would in the process intervene to make sure that everybody, the people of South Africa, would get their share, he said. 

The ANC is the majority party in South Africa's Parliament.