Economy will not grow if Ramaphosa continues with land expropriation – Groenewald

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said the economy would continue to suffer at the result of bad decisions taken by the ruling party if President Cyril Ramaphosa continued with land expropriation without compensation.

He accused Ramaphosa of missing an opportunity to build the nation after he failed to mention the families of children who died at Hoërskool Driehoek in his Sona address. If Ramaphosa planned to grow the economy, race had to be taken out of the equation,  Groenewald said.

The Sona debate continues as members of parliament probe and criticise the president’s Sona plans for the country.

On Tuesday, MPs were united in demanding that the president act on corruption after some MPs were implicated by the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture. The president was requested to act in suspending those who were implicated.

Economic Freedom Fighter leader Julius Malema said he would not believe in Ramaphosa’s commitment to fight corruption until he fired Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane.

This was seconded by DA’s chief whip and MP John Steenhuisen who said: “You (Ramaphosa) cannot expect anybody to take you seriously about your efforts in corruption when the chief protagonists and architects of state capture still sit on these parliamentary benches today.”

Steenhuisen tabled reasons why some of Ramaphosa’s proposed plans for the country would not take off, as they needed decisive action from the president.

“You’re never going to achieve many of the lofty goals you’ve set for yourself because your party and alliance partners just will not let you. Your plans to restructure Eskom will be scuttled, not by the opposition, but by your own Cosatu (Congress of South African Trade Unions) alliance partners. Your plans to fix schools will be undermined, not by the opposition, but by your own Sadtu (South African Democratic Teachers Union) alliance partners. Your acceleration of the NDP (National Development Plan)… will be blocked, not by the opposition, but your own fellow travellers in the SACP (South African Communist Party).”

The DA’s Phumzile van Damme also challenged Ramaphosa to prove his commitment towards fighting corruption by suspending implicated ministers Gwede Mantashe and Mokonyane.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.