‘Apartheid economy need radical change’ says South African Communist Party, Wednesday, April 27, 2011

http://www.sundaytribune.co.za/apartheid-economy-need-radical-change-1.1061393

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Unless something radical is done now about the apartheid economy inherited by government, its achievements will be greatly undermined by the system of capitalism, the SA Communist Party said on Tuesday.

“Our attempts at a gradual economic transformation have only landed us with a failed BEE project which is at the heart of the corruption we see today,” the party said in a statement to mark Freedom Day.

“We have not expanded our industrial and manufacturing base as a country, thus everyone is chasing this or that government tender.”

While millions “swim in poverty and hunger we cannot allow a continued painting of a picture where those who have access to power or those who have access to those with access to power are enriching themselves at the expense of the masses”.

Corruption was theft from the poor and directly undermined democracy.

The SACP called on all in society to join hands, in a principled and non-sectarian way to fight corruption.

“We must honestly and urgently review narrow BEE as it has not addressed the huge economic inequalities and has led to the empowerment of only a small elite instead of the majority.

“Many in the world are now exposed to similar conditions we have spoken about because of the failure of capitalism.”

Humanity faced a serious ecological crisis and as Freedom Day was celebrated, “we must ask ourselves if our future generations will have this opportunity given the speed at which our environment is being destroyed in order for some to become rich”, the SACP said.

The party called on voters to support the ANC is the May 18

local government elections, and reject the “reactionary agenda” of the Democratic Alliance to fragment national unity and treat the three layers of government as isolated islands.

“We in the SACP know well that democracy in SA doesn’t come without contradictions and reactionaries who want to exploit them for their own narrow agendas.

“At the heart of this is an attempt by reactionary forces to use our hard won democratic order to further their class interests.

“Only the ANC led alliance victory will lay conditions for the exercise of people’s power,” it said. - Sapa