MALEMA CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY EXPLAINING POLICIES TO INVESTORS Julius Malema says the meeting in Alexandra also serves to dispel the notion that his party is hostile towards western investors ECONOMIC Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema spent his birthday in a meeting with representatives of investors on Monday in Alexandra, Johannesburg, to discuss the firebrand party’s policies. The EFF — formed by Mr Malema after he had been expelled from the African National Congress (ANC) — is looking to chew into the support base of the ruling party he once called home and is expected to make an impressive debut in the national elections on May 7. Mr Malema said the meeting also served to dispel the notion that his party was hostile towards western investors. He held closed meetings with investors from the UK, US and South Africa. While investor representatives approached by reporters would not reveal their personal identities, the EFF said these included risk assessment management firms, Coronation Asset Management and Investec Asset Management. Mr Malema said the meeting was fruitful and that he managed to calm investor concerns over the EFF’s policies and its election manifesto, which propose increased social upliftment programmes and the nationalisation of key sectors including mines. Our elections manifesto came up and we told them that we are not talking about wholesale takeover but 60% of ownership more or less. We are uncompromising on state ownership and participation. The percentages we are prepared to discuss when we reach the appropriate point, Mr Malema said. One international investor said the meeting was part of an engagement process with a number of political parties over their policies and the role of party policies in managing risk exposure to investors. This is not affiliated to any one party. It is an ongoing process we will have with other parties. Today we went through the EFF manifesto and we appreciate the engagement. We raised policy concerns because in an election year, policy is a very important part of the decisions we make, the investor said. EFF spokesman Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the party invited western investors to meet it in a tent close to the Setjwetla informal settlement to demonstrate that the party’s vision was informed by the struggles of poor South Africans. They have met with us because they want to hear from us about our policies. We believe bringing them here (Alexandra) is the perfect context in which to graphically explain to them what we as a political formation stand for, Mr Ndlozi said. The meeting was attended by representatives of 20 international investors, he said. Meanwhile ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize held a breakfast for editors in Johannesburg yesterday where he said extremism promoted by political parties ahead of the elections was dangerous. If we allow huge extremism, the country will run into trouble. South Africa needed a strong, cohesive mass of people to help move the transformation process forward, he said. We are not at a point where you can have all sorts of parties at 20%, 30% or 15%. There are countries in Europe who have gone on without a government because no one could get a majority of the vote. But in South Africa you would have a problem with that one because we are a new democracy, Mr Mkhize said.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 10:33:19 +0000
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