Heated nationalisation debate in Johannesburg

The only thing agreed upon by all who participated in the debate on nationalisation in mining held in Kempton Park last night by the Bench Marks Foundation, was that the ANC government has failed its people.

The debate formed part of the Just World Conference hosted by the Foundation, in collaboration with the Norwegian Church Aid. The conference aims to explore the impacts of extractive industries on local communities, gender relations and the environment as well as the different models for ownership of natural resources, based on the experiences of a range of different countries.

Varied views regarding nationalism were presented by members of the panel who argued for and against state ownership of the mines.

Mr Michael Solomon, Chairman of the Mineral Economics Committee, said that nationalisation is neither good nor bad. What is important is how it is carried out and how well the mines are run afterwards. People need to be held accountable.

He said that nationalisation becomes bad when it doesn’t deliver to the people and that it should only be considered if guarantees could be made that it will effectively provide ongoing support and benefit to communities and mine workers.

He also said that we still do not know what model of nationalisation the state would employ, and we cannot just jump in with our eyes closed.

Mr Shawn Hattingh, from the International Labour Research and Information Group, vehemently rejected the concept of state nationalisation as he said the government would never defend the interests of workers. Instead workers must take control of natural resources themselves. He said that there should be bottom-up structures instead of the top-down structures we currently experience in mining.

On the other hand, Mr Andile Mngxitama, activist and writer, argued for nationalisation by the state, but not a state that is run by the ANC as it has governed state-owned entities badly. He said that he does not feel confident that the money will go where it should, as history has shown that mismanagement of funds is the norm.

The overall consensus was that change was required in the mining sector but that there is no simple solution. Nationalisation, if guaranteed to benefit the poor and not those in power may indeed be an answer, but it would have to be very carefully and closely managed by civil society and citizens of the country.

In addition, good leadership and expertise would be required to manage this successfully to ensure maximum benefit to those who are most in need. The question remains, is our government really up to it and are citizens and civil society strong enough to ensure that nationalisation doesn’t become another name for corruption.

The panel consisted of

• Michael Solomon, Chairman of the Mineral Economics Committee, Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Senior Adviser to Raw Materials Group, Sweden. He has worked with Anglovaal, Steffen Robertson and Kristen, Bateman Projects and Mineral Corporation. He was also with the Minerals and Energy Group, African National Congress Department of Economic Planning, Mineral and Energy Policy Centre and is the Technical Adviser to the Royal Bafokeng Nation, Richtersveld Community and Bakubung Ba Ratheo Community. In addition he is a guest lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand, Gordon Institute of Business Science and University of Pretoria.
• Shawn Hattingh who works at the International Labour Research and Information Group, an NGO providing education, publications and research for the labour and social movements in South and Southern Africa. The main focus of the organisation is globalisation and the view that it is not a heightened form of international integration, but an attempt to restructure class relations so as to restore capitalist profitability.
• Mr Andile Mngxitama, activist and writer who holds an MA in sociology from the University of Witwatersrand, is a leading Black Consciousness thinker and organizer. He co-edited Biko Lives! Contesting the Legacies of Steve Biko, a collection of essays on the philosophy and writings of B.C. leader, Steve Biko. The collection looks at the ongoing significance of Black Consciousness, situating it in a global framework, examining the legacy of Biko, the current state of post-apartheid South African politics, and the culture and history of the anti-apartheid movements. He is the editor of the New Frank Talk journal, columnist for the Sowetan, and regular writer for various other newspapers. 

To find out more about the conference, please contact Bench Marks on 082 870 8861 or email justworldconference@gmail.com.