Economic analyst Moeletsi Mbeki on Sunday rejected President Jacob Zuma’s portrayal of him as an armchair critic and revealed that he had presented the president with proposals on changing ruling party policy to stimulate growth.
Mbeki told the South African Press Association (Sapa) that he had met with Zuma at his Johannesburg home in June 2008 and presented him with a 10-point plan to boost the country’s commercial and agricultural output, bring the poor into the economy and create youth employment.
The document, of which Sapa has a copy, states: “The economic policies that the ANC government has been pursuing during the 14 years and especially since the adoption of Gear in 1996 have caused significant damage.
“Several strong remedial interventions need to be taken by the new administration that will come into power after next year’s general elections.”
Mbeki said he approached Zuma and not his brother, president Thabo Mbeki, because the former had been elected president of the ANC six months before and was conducting talks with world leaders on the ruling party’s future plans.
“He had just been to London and assured leaders there that the ANC’s policies would not change,” Mbeki said, adding: “I did not get the impression that they necessarily believed him.”
‘Good listener’
He said he had been well received by Zuma, but there was no follow-up to their discussion.
“Zuma is a good listener. He did not raise any objections or criticism.”
Mbeki’s suggestions included phasing out black economic empowerment (BEE), re-introducing military conscription to combat crime and provide vocational training for the youth and restoring subsidies for agricultural research in order to restore food security.
He was reacting to an interview in the Beeld newspaper last week where Zuma described him as being among intellectuals who criticised the government rather than contributing to building South Africa.
An outspoken critic of BEE, he told Zuma that it “contributes to accelerate economic inequalities within the black population without contributing to economic growth and job creation”.
He also called for venture capital funds to be established to encourage entrepreneurship and that smart partnerships with the private sector be formed to strengthen the functioning of state-owned enterprises.
Mbeki suggested that the education system should be redesigned to “promote competition among learners and teachers” and that free bursaries be given up to doctorate level for all students who passed higher grade maths and science with exemptions.
He said he believed Zuma was not acknowledging the readiness of intellectuals to contribute, nor giving serious consideration to their suggestions because the ANC’s alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party allowed him little room to manoeuvre.
“The nature of the alliance means that ideologically, the party is stuck.”
Mbeki said he was stung at being dismissed by Zuma and believed the slight was related to the bad blood between the president and the man he succeeded as ANC leader.
“I think he’s trying to fight his battle with my brother through me,” he said. – Sapa