‘Black middle class want to be like whites’ – Moeletsi Mbeki

Moeletsi Mbeki, the brother of former President Thabo Mbeki, said all the black middle class want to do in South Africa is consume at the same level as whites.

Moeletsi was speaking to Dennis Davis on eNCA.

Mbeki said the black middle class in South Africa is a consumer class.

“In order for them to consume at the level at which the whites are consuming, they have to tax the production system of South Africa. Now, when you do that, the reality is that you don’t develop the economy. You actually under develop the economy.”

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Mbeki said in order to get greater equality in South Arica, people need to invest in the economy.

“But that is not in the interests of the black middle class today, the black middle class today want to consume. That’s why you see them driving these giant SUVs, 4x4s, living in this huge mansion that the whites live in,” he said.

“They don’t want to save and invest in the production system which will then uplift everybody. That is the reality about the black middle class in South Africa. It’s not interested in the industrialisation and the uplifting of everyone. They are interested in their own consumption now, by taxing the existing economy.”

Mbeki said the standard of living that the black middle class want is based on salaries from the public sector.

“You cannot use the public sector salaries to achieve the same standard of living as whites in the private sector.”

Asked about what policies will create a more equal society, Mbeki said that will not come from the African National Congress (ANC).

“Obviously we know that after 28 years, this is not the programme of the ANC. The programme of the ANC is to put resources into salaries because the ANC’s programme is to develop the welfare of the black middle class, not the welfare of the mass of the people of South Africa. So, you won’t get it from the ANC.”

Mbeki said the ANC will not change this policy, even after another 28 years.

“If you give the ANC another 28 years, you will get the same thing. So, we have to have a different political party that competes against the ANC with a different programme.”

In May, Mbeki painted a scathing picture of Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership, saying the president is not a leader but a party agent. 

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