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Pretoria – ANC in Gauteng is discussing a proposal which will ensure that previously disadvantaged people own 49 percent of the country’s mines, the party’s provincial chairperson Paul Mashatile said on Saturday. “In the next few years the preoccupation is going to be fundamentally changing the structure of the South African economy,” he told reporters at the party’s elective conference in Pretoria.
“[The preoccupation will also be] breaking down monopoly capital, ensuring new entrants particularly from Africans and blacks in general, creating black industrialists and making sure that we de-racialise the South African economy.”
Mashatile said the provincial structure’s resolutions would be announced later. He said the increased ownership drive would not be limited to mining only, but other sectors of the economy.
“The important thing is not only equity ownership. We won’t be happy if suddenly companies owned 49 percent by black people mine and sell all the minerals abroad,” he said. “We must produce goods here and create jobs. Through increased local production, redistribution of resources to all our people, we can bring a better life to everybody.”
On the 2016 municipal elections, Mashatile said the African National Congress would win Gauteng resoundingly.
“We may not have the kind of money as the DA [Democratic Alliance] has, but they won’t be able to defeat us because we live amongst the masses,” he said.
“We are comfortable that our election machinery is going to be very strong. It will be able to win all the municipalities in Gauteng with a very clear majority.”
Regarding e-tolls in the province, Gauteng premier David Makhura said the work of his review panel was going on amicably, with or without the input of the SA National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
“Sanral is a state agency. We are a political branch and so we work with the political leadership. I don’t want to entertain the issue of them making a submission [to the panel] or not,” said Makhura. – Sapa
Online Reporter