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The ANC Youth League commends the South African Government on the launch of the State Owned Mining Company’s first mining operations in Emalahleni on Saturday, the 26th of February 2011. The ANC Youth League particularly welcomes the remarks made by President Jacob Zuma that “The role of the State cannot merely be confined to that of a regulator. The State must actively participate in the mining industry to ensure that our national interest is protected and advanced. As you would be aware, our policy is to build a strong mixed economy, where the state, private sector, cooperative and other forms of social ownership complement each other, to achieve shared and inclusive economic growth”.

The ANC Youth League understands the statement made by President Zuma that currently, “Government policy on minerals and mining does not make provision for the nationalization of mining assets, but it does not prevent the State from participating actively in mining, competing with other companies”. We understand this statement because the ANC National General Council mandated the ANC National Executive Committee to do further work, which includes research, study-tours and discussions to realise the NGC’s greater consensus on nationalisation of Mines and other strategic sectors of the economy. The best model of nationalisation will be decided by the ANC Policy and National Conferences in 2012.

The ANC Youth League is of the firm belief that the launching of the State Owned Mining Company lays a very firm foundation for the State’s future control and ownership of all strategic mineral wealth and mining in South Africa. The ANC Youth League will soon visit the launched State Owned Mining Company operations to witness the beginning of what will be the future of South Africa concerning the relationship of the State to mineral resources and mining.

The ANC Youth League is of the view that the State Owned Mining Company should soon expand its operations to other parts of the country endowed with mineral resources. Furthermore, the State Owned Mining Company’s labour practices and workers’ salaries should be markedly better than the practise and salaries of private mining corporations. The South African government should immediately put in place beneficiation and industrialisation mechanisms and systems so as to ensure that minerals extracted by the State are locally beneficiated and industrialised. This will significantly contribute to creation of decent jobs for many people and build sustainable livelihoods for majority of our people.