Zanu-PF spoiled Malema on nationalisation: ANC

VISITING African National Congress secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has accused Zanu-PF of influencing the thinking and actions of its national youth league president Julius Malema.

This came out after meetings Mantashe held with Zanu-PF officials, including Acting President John Landa Nkomo, Vice President Joice Mujuru, secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo.

Mutasa told journalists after the meetings that Mantashe blamed Zanu-PF for speeches by Malema calling for proactive empowerment programmes for poor South Africans.

"We talked about the youths," said Mutasa. "They blamed us saying Malema speaks like you and thinks like you.

"We told them that we are not influencing him. If he speaks like Zanu-PF, that is the way he likes to speak, we cannot change him. If he thinks like us, that is up to him."

Mutasa said Zanu-PF was not aware that some Zimbabwean youths organised a demonstration at the South African Embassy against the hearings being undertaken by the ANC on a number of accusations being levelled against Malema.

Responding to questions from journalists on why Malema had been vilified for advocating empowerment, Mantashe said they "would not advocate for empowerment programmes, which hurt the economy".

Mantashe said this after meeting Khaya Moyo at Zanu-PF Headquarters.

"When the youth league raised that issue, we agreed to research and look at how other countries have done it and so far we have done eight countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia," said Mantashe.

"We want to look at what is best for South Africans and when people advocate for a policy, we want a policy that does not hurt the economy.

"Nationalisation is a nice policy to talk about, but we don't want that which scares away investors."

Malema and his deputies are facing various charges of misconduct, which include "sowing divisions" within ANC and bringing the party into disrepute following his call last month for regime change in Botswana which he said had a "puppet government" that was in full co-operation with imperialists.

Speaking after separate meetings with Acting President Nkomo and VP Mujuru, Mantashe said Zimbabwe was a sovereign country and should pursue policies it deemed fit.

He said SA had embarked on a policy that focused on involving the people in issues such as procurement as part of indigenising the economy.

"Zimbabwe took the indigenisation route and that is what they have chosen," said Mantashe.

"What is important is that Zimbabwe is our neighbour. It must be stable and grow. If it does not grow, we feel it."

Mantashe toured the National Heroes Acre where he said it was now time blacks controlled their resources through programmes such as indigenisation and economic empowerment.

He was accompanied by Mutasa, Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Rugare Gumbo, Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi and Politburo member Tendai Savanhu.

Mantashe laid wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was taken through the national shrine by National Heroes Acre curator Mr Godfrey Nyaruwanga.

"We developed black empowerment to make sure that our people own something in different sectors," he said.

"And to cement this, that is the reason why we, as a party, monitor the hierarchy in companies. Ordinary people should own the means of production."

Mantashe said just like in Zimbabwe, land in South Africa should be distributed to ordinary citizens.

"When we came into power, we ensured that those who had been pushed off their land reclaimed it and though it is a slow process, we still believe that land is vital for any nation," he said.

"We also discovered that the willing-buyer, willing-seller strategy was not working and we are in the process of passing legislation that completely makes blacks owners of their land."

Mantashe said solutions to issues related to Zimbabwe and its Global Political Agreement should be addressed by Zimbabweans themselves.

He said the holding of elections was the only way political parties in Zimbabwe would end the GPA "discord".

Mantashe said Africa was under siege from Western countries and Zanu-PF should campaign vigorously and do away with "colonial proxies".

"What is happening in Zimbabwe is an experiment by them (Western countries) which can be extended to us if they succeed here," he said.

"It must not succeed and that is why we are saying to Zanu-PF vote, win, govern and bring to an end the GPA. What they want to achieve must never be given a chance. Let us be strong against these Western countries."

Mantashe flew into Harare on Tuesday night leading a five-member ANC delegation.

He is expected to tour A1 and A2 farms in Mashonaland East today before flying back home later in the day.