'Nationalisation not our policy'

Parliament - Nationalisation is not government policy, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

Responding to points raised during debate on his state of the nation address, Zuma said: "We reiterate that nationalisation is not government policy.

"We have noted that political formations, including the ruling party's Youth League, have decided to debate the matter.

"This is a democratic society and as government, we cannot stop political formations from deciding to open a debate on this topic or any other."

Veering from his prepared speech, Zuma said it had been past governments, not his, that had banned "certain political discussions".

"What members should do in an open democratic society, if the president of the youth league Julius Malema raises the issue of nationalisation, they must raise their counter-argument to him if they want to debate it.

"Instead of saying to government 'stop him, make him keep quiet'.

"This [is] democracy, he has views, the ANC Youth League has views. ANC Youth League has always had views.

"Debate the views of Malema, and don't confuse a debate raised to policy of government. Don't... when you're staying in South Africa... say is this your policy, when you know, when we have articulated it many times.

"We have processes in the ANC of how we formulate policy. It's a long process leading up to a national policy conference. That's the process we go through as a democratic organisation, and there is no other organisation that does so, except the ANC.

"So on matters of policy... the ANC is very clear, and those who are in the ANC recently know the process I am talking about. They have been party to it," Zuma said.

- Sapa