MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
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Inkatha Freedom Party Statement By:
13 November 2007 In light of the Tiger Consumer Brands bread fixing scandal and a recent survey by the Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR), the Inkatha Freedom Party is calling on the Competition Commission to launch a large scale investigation into all national competitors in South Africa responsible for producing cooking oil, maize, sugar as well as SA's chicken processors and marketers. The bread fixing scandal comes shortly after the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) announced that severe poverty levels in South Africa have doubled in the past 10 years. A survey released by the SAIRR this month showed that poverty in the country increased "dramatically" between 1996 and 2005. The SAIRR said in its report: "Using the globally accepted measure of poverty, of people living on less than one US dollar per day, poverty has increased in South Africa, both in absolute numbers and proportionally. In 1996, some 1,9 million South Africans survived on less than one US dollar per day. This had increased to 4,2 million by 2005." The province with the highest percentage of people living in poverty was Limpopo, followed by KwaZulu Natal. This shocking revelation by the SAIRR also coincides with more worrying news that motorists are set to pay more for fuel during December. Petrol prices are set to increase by 34 cents a litre while paraffin prices are set to rise by 49 cents. This will further increase already high food prices. In light of all of these disturbing facts, the IFP would like to call on the Competition Commissioner, Shan Ramburuth, to launch a full scale investigation into anti-competitive nature and possible collusion between cooking oil, maize, sugar and chicken producers in SA. It is absolutely disgusting that these company bosses might try to enrich themselves to the detriment of the poorest of the poor in this country. With poverty levels rising and food prices surging out of control we call on the Competition Commission to intervene. The Commission might find that the Tiger Consumer Brands bread scandal is only the tip of the iceberg.
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