Tripartite alliance the biggest threat to economic growth – TLU-SA

White farmers based in Gauteng believe the ANC’s policy confusion, the proposed land expropriation without compensation and SA’s economic instability will derail Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s economic vision.

The farmers cautioned the ANC to do away with policies that were based on socialism and communism that failed as ideologies internationally.

Members of the Transvaal Landbou-Unie van Suid-Africa (TLU-SA) said the ANC-led tripartite alliance – the ANC, Congress of South African Trade Union (Cosatu) and the SA Communist Party (SACP) – are the biggest threat to economic growth.

While commending Mboweni’s economic recovery proposal, the union’s president, Louis Meintjies, said the policy variables and uncertainty resulting from the alliance’s differences did not create entrepreneur and investor confidence.

“This discourages them from becoming economically active and delivering the benefits outlined in Mboweni’s plans.”

Meintjies said the SACP, as an albatross around the ANC’s neck, prevented the governing party from formulating policies that empowered the economy.

And by demanding unsustainable salary increases, Cosatu abused unions for its own political jockeying and benefit, Meintjies said.

“The unions need to realise that wealth does not fall from the sky but is created through economic activity. They need to realise that labour is decreasing, being replaced by technology and mechanisation.”

The union said the policy contradictions would foil Mboweni’s good economic intentions.

Certain aspects of the National Treasury draft paper were indeed beneficial to the country.

The body put their finger on the plan’s proposal to improve productivity and increase exports, but expressed worry that the Mboweni’s plans would be implemented under “significantly unstable economic conditions”.

“The ANC alliance needs to publicly reject the concept of expropriation without compensation and support the principle of private property ownership.

“Should the ANC persist in proceeding with expropriation without compensation, they will be facilitating and enabling the growing unemployment and levels of poverty experienced under their regime,” Meintjies said.

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