Mines debate to be stepped up

Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) will put forward in January a discussion document on how to nationalise the country's mines , a spokesperson said.

In a statement in which the organisation expressed its best wishes for the country, spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said this framework would be put forward after the ANCYL discussed it at their lekgotla in January.

"The discussion document will be clearly stating a framework on how nationalisation of mines will happen in South Africa," he said.

"Our perspective on nationalisation will be a product of intensive engagement with all interested stakeholders in South Africa, particularly Cosatu, which has expressed interest in influencing and input in the discussion document.

Shivambu said the ANCYL called on other interested stakeholders who were interested in thorough debate to make contributions to the ANCYL perspective.

"We want the perspective to be a commonly shared vision on how the people benefit from nationalised mines and other strategic sectors of the economy."

Shivambu said the ANCYL would conduct study tours to countries that had greater State participation in the management of their economies and how this impacted in the development of their communities.

"We will specifically visit countries such as China, Botswana, Zambia, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and Namibia to study and learn how these countries have either succeeded or failed in the management and control of strategic sectors of their respective economies."

Shivambu said the ANCYL called on its "detractors from both the left and right to make constructive input into their perspective on nationalisation of mines with the intention to enrich it".

The ANCYL celebrated its many achievements during 2010 and wished all South Africans a productive, eventful and transformative 2010.

The league also called on South Africans to support Bafana Bafana in the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.

- Sapa