Herald Reporter
SOUTH African president Cde Jacob Zuma told delegates attending the ANC policy conference at Gallagher Estate that it was time his government took a radical shift towards economically empowering its people.

Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday, the leader of the Zanu-PF delegation to the conference, Professor Jonathan Moyo said land reform and how South Africans could benefit from mineral resources generated a lot of debate.
“Two issues that are of interest to Zimbabwe were raised.  President Zuma said they needed to take a radical shift to the left and re-examine things such as the willing-seller willing-buyer principle which we did,” he said.

The economic transformation committee led by former Finance Minister Mr Trevor Manuel looked at how South Africa could benefit from the mining sector among other issues.

Prof Moyo said the committee suggested that the ANC should seriously look at nationalisation in mining.
There were a number of proposals that were made including 100, 60 and 30 percent shares in mining companies.

The policy conference that ends today, is being attended by delegates from South Africa’s nine provinces, some non governmental organisations and revolutionary parties in Africa among them Zanu-PF, MPLA, Swapo, Frelimo, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Nigeria’s People Democratic Party and Ethiopia’s People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front.

Prof Moyo said the liberation movements were unanimous that the struggle for economic empowerment was not over.
“These countries agreed they had a lot to learn from each other, but they had to adopt different implementation strategies due to situations obtaining in their countries,” he said.

The policy conference began on the 26th and ends today.
The 2012 National Policy Conference is a preparatory meeting to take stock of the party’s activities and challenges following the Polokwane conference as it gears for another conference in Mangaung in December.

The December conference will be an elective one and the ANC decided to hold the policy conference to avoid the clash of policy and election issues.
Prof Moyo and Cde Monica Mutsvangwa received a standing ovation when they were introduced at the conference.