Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Julius Malema, has taken swipe the Sunset Clause and accused it of delaying transformation in the country, calling for the introduction of what he terms the Sunrise Clause, which he says the EFF will introduce at the party’s 2019 general elections manifesto launch in Soshanguve on Saturday.
The Sunset Clause was proposed by the former SACP leader, Joe Slovo, in 1992 and set the wheels in motion for a coalition government from 1994 to 1999 following the 1994 democratic election.
The agreement included guarantees and concessions to all sides.
Malema, speaking at the EFF Gala dinner ahead of manifesto launch, says, “We are not part of Codesa and AfriForum makes this point all the time. It says the ANC is betraying the agreement we have reached with them by wanting to introduce new things that are not in the Sunset Clauses. So, we, in our manifesto tomorrow, we are doing away with the Sunset Clauses because we must give life to Sunrise Clauses. It can’t be sunset forever. The sun must rise at some point. Nkwame Nkrumah put it correctly when he said the political power without economical emancipation is meaningless.”
Malema has also accused the political parties in South Africa of serving the interests of their funders instead of those of the people. He says this is one of the reason why White Monopoly Capital is protected.
“One day, our spokesperson was relaxed somewhere and someone said to him, ‘I have been sent by a sister of Johan Rupert to come and make with the leadership of the EFF and if you agree to this meeting, surely, there will be some benefits. And the spokesperson of EFF responded and said, ‘Can you please tell the Ruperts that at least in South Africa there must be one party that they do not control. Because there will be a problem if they controlled all the parties, and let that party be the EFF. And I found that response to be very profound. Because the likelihood is that the Ruperts have got everyone except the EFF. We are the only organisation that can fight unashamedly the White Monopoly Capital.”
Malema says their manifesto will seek to dismantle White Monopoly Capital.
“So, tomorrow, we will be unveiling the manifesto, which will outline how we will crush the White monopoly capital. We are a party that fights for black people and therefore, we do not apologise about that. We don’t want to be included in the current arrangement. We want to crush the current arrangement and introduce a completely new system that will benefit the people of South Africa.”
The EFF says it is all systems go for its manifesto launch at Soshanguve outside Pretoria on Saturday. The Soshanguve Stadium is expected to be turned into a sea of red as the party expecting thousands to fill stadium.
“We are ready. Our people should show up in numbers. Gates open at 07h00. We are asking all the people of Tshwane in particular to arrive first. We are ready to roll out the plan of action to change the lives of our people on Saturday at the Giant Stadium here,” says EFF Spokesperson, Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
The party leadership this week visited different areas in the City of Tshwane. These included Stinkwater and Hammanskraal.
On the party’s forthcoming manifesto launch, Malema says many people will eat humble pies when they see the red barrettes colouring the whole of Tshwane in red. He says even the ruling party which launched its manifesto two weeks ago will be shocked.
“Well, the president, when he watches Giant Stadium he will think that Moses Mabhida was picnic. It’s going to be a big occasion; it’s going to be a historic moment; that’s where the programme to change government of South Africa will start from and when you look at it as a sitting president, obviously your stomach is going to turn. You’ll be shaken because a message will be sent that now the red sea has arrived.”
Responding to the current problems raised by residents in the so-called poor northern part of the City of Tshwane, Malema says those challenges were a creation of the misrule and corruption by the previous ANC administration.
“Well, it looks like these people were neglected by the ANC government in Tshwane and therefore, the new administration must do the right thing. All other issues that have been raised by these residents of Tshwane are the same and they got a practical possible solution and we need to focus and make sure that indeed we deliver the services to our people. There is a practical programme which can be done. Let’s talk about Hammanskraal for instance; the water is not clean and all you need is water reticulation plan; a big one with the necessary capacity to clean water and send it into the taps of the people. It’s not a difficult thing. The money is there. We are passing a budget in July.” – additional reporting by Ndundu Sithole
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