ANC members are afraid to talk about the nationalisation of mines, national executive committee (NEC) member Fikile Mbalula said on Saturday.
“Champion the course of liberation of issues that faces our people today, when the youth league says nationalisation (of mines), economic freedom, some among us are afraid to utter those words. It is like a banned term in the dictionary,” he said.
He was speaking at the Peter Mokaba memorial lecture at Ga-Molepo outside Polokwane in Limpopo.
He described Mokaba as uncompromising leader not easily driven by bitterness against his opponents.
Mokoba was a controversial leader, who was seen championing struggle against apartheid. “To fight for economic freedom is defining strategic future of the ANC, you can never say our people are liberated up until their economic freedom,” he said.
He told party members that they would fail the ANC if they don’t raise nationalisation in the party upcoming policy conference. “We must never retreat, policy conference is about ideas is not about singing about individuals.”
He said that nationalisation of mines has proved to be working in Botswana.
Mbalula also warned that if the ANC forget the “mass” it will be the end of it. - Sapa