The African National Congress Youth League (ANC YL) has noted the reaction
of Nicky Oppenheimer, De Beers Chairperson to the misleading statements of
Minister of Minerals, Susan Shabangu that Mines will not be nationalised in
the Minister's lifetime. We have also noted attempts to divert the debate on
Nationalisation by Jeremy Cronin, who once again, used the platform of the
South African Communist Party to express his views. We decided to respond to
Nicky, Susan and Jeremy together because their wish to retain the status quo
in terms of property relations is the same, the only slight difference is
that the other one uses sophisticated English to mislead our ally, the SACP
on its response to Nationalisation of Mines.

*NICKY OPENHEIMER, SUSAN SHABANGU AND DE BEERS: *

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It is totally dishonest and criminal for Nicky Oppenheimer to say he agrees
with the misleading statements of Susan Shabangu that Mines will not be
nationalised in her lifetime. By saying Mines will not be nationalised in
her lifetime, Susan Shabangu Is referring to her lifetime as a Minister of
Minerals, because we doubt if she will be a Minister for that a very long
time. De Beers is a Mining partnership with the governments of Botswana,
Namibia and Canada, yet seems to be refusing that the people of South Africa
benefit from mining of diamond. De Beers is an inconsistent and immoral,
inhuman corporation, whose development and growth was at the expense of many
Africans' innocent lives. De Beers super-exploited African labourers through
forced cheap labour and for many years sponsored the conquest of the African
majority by the white minorities. De Beers operated in South Africa during
apartheid and basically sponsored the murderous, destructive and racist
actions of the colonial/apartheid repressive regime. If there is ever any
corporation that has to be remorseful and understand that the people of
South Africa should share in the country's wealth, it is De Beers.

De Beers should not be misled by Susan Shabangu, but should begin to design
models of engagement with the State in the same manner they did in Botswana,
Namibia and Canada. In South Africa, De Beers should begin to adjust to
giving away 60% of its ownership and control of Mining, because that is what
is going to happen. De Beers should be leading other Mining corporations in
making them understand that Mining can happen even when the State has a
greater stake in the mining corporations, and stop listening to wrong advice
by the Minister of Minerals.

We do not expect Nicky Oppenheimer to support Nationalisation because he is
protecting his ill-gotten wealth, currently worth billions of Rands, which
he inherited from his war mongering forefathers. Whilst not openly
supporting Nationalisation, Patrice Motsepe has said in a constructive
manner that if it happens in the interest of South Africa, he would support
nationalisation. But a greedy, unethical capitalist, who stays in London,
does not care about the interest of South Africa. If Nicky Oppenheimer
thinks that he has a hold on the ANC through Minister Susan Shabangu, then
he is misled, because Susan Shabangu is not the ANC and does not understand
the ANC.

*JEREMY CRONIN AND THE SACP*

* *

The ANC Youth League wants to place it on record that Jeremy Cronin has on
several occasions been given the opportunity to contribute into the
discussion document on Nationalisation of Mines. He was specifically asked
to write a chapter in the document on how Nationalised Mines should alter
South Africa's accumulation and growth path in order to address the
Minerals-energy-finance complex. As always, the only thing he could do was
make a false commitment that he will contribute, but chose not to. In
November 2009, Jeremy Cronin committed to make input and we are still
waiting for his input. He instead chose to use the platform of the Communist
Party to try and divert focus from the ANC Youth League's call for
Nationalisation and label it opportunistic and weak, primarily because of a
section which he was requested to make contributions on.

The ANC Youth League is acutely aware that what are presented as views of
the SACP Politburo are personal, reactionary views of Jeremy Cronin who
forever succeeds in misleading the Communist Party. The SACP's support for
Nationalisation is couched with lots of doubts and aspersions intended as
questioning the legitimacy of the ANC Youth League to raise the debate. The
Communist Party should intensely look within itself and ask the relevant
question of why is it that all the personal beliefs of one Jeremy Cronin
without failure become the views of the Communist Party. The ANC YL is aware
that the labels of "Kebble-ism", "anti-communist"

Jeremy Cronin is again re-committing the same mistake he committed when he
said our understanding of beneficiation is bling. Jeremy Cronin does not
read the official document of the ANC YL, but rushes to respond even on
issues that have already been addressed. This specifically relates to the
conceptual foundation of the document which unequivocally says that
"nationalisation does not amount to bailing out of indebted capitalists".
The entire question of South Africa's State Owned Enterprises is addressed
in the discussion document, but as always, Jeremy Cronin ignores it and
instead chooses to raise false alarms on the whole debate.

Why a Communist cadre in the form of Jeremy Cronin refuses to constructively
input into the Nationalisation of Mines perspective even when humbly
requested to is worrying. But as they say, blood is thicker than water. The
ANC YL is neither grand-standing, nor threatening anyone. Inspired by the
1944 founding generation of the ANC, we will not support any leader of the
ANC who is opposed to our political programme. It would be foolhardy for the
Youth League to support leaders who are opposed to our programme.

We will continue to engage with the Communist Party and COSATU and develop a
proper programme moving forward. Nationalisation of Mines will happen, and
for Nicky Oppenheimer and Jeremy Cronin, we appreciate your opposition
because it makes us more determined.