‘Economic deprivation’ blamed for attacks

Published Apr 21, 2015

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Cape Town - A coalition formed between business, trade unions, and traditional leaders said on Tuesday that the non-realisation of economic freedom for the majority of Africans was to blame for the current South African situation.

“In recognition of the fact that the ideal of the economic emancipation of the majority of the African people has not been realised, and that the ownership profile of the South African economy is foreign-owned, a coalition of organised black business gathered to announce a collective response to the current unrest,” said the coalition on Tuesday.

The coalition was organised and formed by the Black Business Council (BBC), the South African Mining Development Association (SAMDA), the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa).

The coalition said there were numerous issues fueling “frustration and desperation” among South Africans.

These frustrations, said the coalition, manifested itself in service delivery protests, Marikana, and the current xenophobic attacks.

The coalition named the issues as “resistance to the transformation agenda, non-compliance to broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) codes and charters, and transfer pricing”.

According to the coalition, these issues were forms of economic violence which had in turn found expression in the xenophobic attacks witnessed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The coalition condemned the xenophobic attacks, stating African foreign nationals were also victims of “the tyranny of economic deprivation created by neo-colonialism”.

“Like us, they are also vulnerable victims of neo-colonialism and economic apartheid. All Africans must unite against poverty, exploitation, and the denial of basic human rights,” said the coalition.

“This reality can only be achieved by virtue of creating a sustainable African economy and allowing Africa to rise to meet her full socio-economic and political potential”.

The coalition said they would on Tuesday begin their work in ensuring “a rapid economic transformation implementation campaign”, turning government’s transformation legislation into reality and urged all Africans to stand with them in solidarity “against the scourge of neo-colonialism”.

ANA

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