JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The African National Congress (ANC) on Wednesday welcomed the discussion document on the nationalisation of mines submitted to it by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) at the weekend.

South Africa’s ruling party noted in a statement on Wednesday that it would engage with the ANCYL through proper ANC structures, following which it would express its opinions on the issue.

“In the meantime, the ANC advise all South Africans not to stifle debate on this matter and allow the ANC to engage with its youth league,” the party stated.

This followed after Mining Minister Susan Shabangu told delegates at the Mining Indaba, in Cape Town, on Tuesday, that the nationalisation of mines would not be adopted “in [her] lifetime”.

Shabangu had told delegates at the mining conference that the nationalisation of mines was not a government policy.

The ANCYL, led by Julius Malema, has repeatedly called for the nationalisation of the country’s mines, saying that government should own at least 60% of all mines.

The youth league on Tuesday said that the Minister was misleading investors by making “false assurances” at the conference, saying that investors should be given the opportunity to make an input into the league’s discussion document.

Its spokesperson Floyd Shivambu emphasised that the nationalisation of mines was going to become a reality in the not-too-distant future.

The South African Students Congress (Sasco) on Wednesday also criticised Shabangu for the “arrogant remarks” she made at the conference.

"We see nationalisation as urgent and necessary to transform the South African economy,” Sasco stated.

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