Statement of the African National Congress Youth League on the World Bank Report on equality of opportunity in South Africa
24 July 2012
The African National Congress Youth League is vindicated by the World Bank's Report, entitled Inequality of Opportunity in South Africa and released today in Johannesburg. The ANCYL has often made the point and it is reiterated by the World Bank, a pinnacle of global imperialism, that "circumstances at birth are important drivers of inequality in South Africa".
Perhaps coming from this "revered" institution, the point we have made over and over again that the legacy of years of colonisation and a lacklustre approach to dealing decisively with issues of redistribution of wealth within this country, perpetuate a white minority that reaps the benefits of even this democracy while the black majority live in poverty and squalor, in the country of their birth and the arguably one of the richest countries in the world.
The Democratic Alliance, Afriforum and others who taunt our people and play on their suffering by coming with unrealistic proposals based on "equal and open society" and are quick to scream that the ANC is playing the race card or that we are racist must hopefully realise today, that our economy itself is the race card. It is untenably racially biased and their liberal and even reactionary policies are designed to maintain the status quo. South Africans will be united by the economy.
It is through having the same economic means that a true "rainbow nation" will be achieved. Only the progressive policies adopted by the National Policy Conference of the African National Congress for nationalisation of strategic sectors of the economy and the expropriation of land without compensation, we will begin to make a radical and decisive shift to true redress, redistribution to bring about a more just and egalitarian society. This is the "policy challenge" that must be implemented to "break this vicious, self-perpetuating cycle of inequality in South Africa."
The African National Congress must move with greater urgency to level the playing fields to ensure that Black children in general and African children in particular have as a basic right, access to the same opportunities afforded to those of White families from birth and throughout their lifetime. To do so, requires being able to confront white monopoly capital within our borders who continue to wage a passive aggressive investment strike and beyond our borders, determined to protect mineral and land assets in South Africa that should be owned by the people as a whole.
We call upon government to read the report together with the daily life experiences of our people, and understand that inequality must be addressed as the ticking bomb that it is. The World Bank must not just bask in the glory of producing a research document but tangibly speak to the financial contribution they will be bringing to attend to this situation. The private sector and landowners - patriotic or otherwise- are cautioned to contribute to the development of this country for our collective benefit or risk to perish under the increasing impatience of our people.
The ANC Youth League is even more determined to ensure that the ANC National Conference in Manguang resolves on fundamental change for realistic redistribution of our mineral wealth for Economic Freedom in our Lifetime. This is a mission we will not betray.
Statement issued by Khusela Sangoni-Khawe, ANC Youth League Head of Communications, July 25 2012
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