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The ANC Youth League is disappointed that once again Susan Shabangu has done what the African National Congress said she should not do as Minister of Mining in South Africa. The ANC National General Council, which Susan Shabangu participated in, took a resolution that “there was greater consensus in the commission on the nationalisation of mines and other strategic sectors of the economy. The NGC therefore mandated the NEC to ensure further work be done, including research, study tours and discussions, and to report to the Policy Conference for decision at National Conference in 2012”

For Susan Shabangu to once again pronounce false assurances to Mining capitalists that “Nationalisation is not an option” is not only misleading, but goes against the essence of what the ANC National General Council resolved. The ANC Youth League calls on the ANC to exercise maximum discipline on people who go around spreading misleading messages that altogether diminishes the value of vital ANC gatherings. Instead of explaining the ANC process on Nationalisation of Mines, Susan Shabangu is making false assurances and altogether making the ANC process to be undermined.

Now that the ANC has taken a decision on Nationalisation of Mines and set up a process, the ANC Youth League is wondering why certain individuals choose to define themselves from the ANC process. The ranting of capitalists like CEO of Anglo-American is inspired by the misleading messages and fiction of Susan Shabangu. Cynthia Carrol is not a member of the ANC and knows nothing about what is happening in the organisation, so she should stay away from conclusively speaking about ANC policy direction. She should concentrate on improving Anglo-American’s human and workers’ rights record across the world and in South Africa before the State takes ownership of the Mines.

Now leaving the fiction of Susan Shabangu, we should once again state what is currently happening towards the ANC Policy and National Conferences in 2012. The NEC of the ANC has put up a Reference team of leaders of the ANC and Youth League to amongst other things oversee the work that should be done by the ANC and researchers as instructed by the ANC NGC, in particular research, study tours and discussions. Cabinet has already resolved to expedite the establishment of a State Owned Mining Company. These are important developments around Nationalisation of Mines which will be conclusively resolved by the ANC 52nd National Conference in 2012.

Stakeholders in Mining and the people of South Africa are called upon to ignore Susan Shabangu, because she previously made almost similar remarks, but did not say anything in the ANC Commission that was tasked with discussing Nationalisation of Mines in September 2010. The Commission, Susan Shabangu attended and kept quite throughout, established greater consensus on nationalisation of Mines. She should focus on other NGC resolutions, particularly expediting the establishment of State Owned Mining Company and development of mining sector strategy within 12 months as instructed by the ANC NGC.