STATEMENT IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Mr BM Skosana MP

National Assembly Cape Town: 4 September 2007  

Madame Speaker, 

The developing nations of South-East Asia, South America, even North America and Europe are successfully revisiting the values and principles of participatory co-operative movement to buttress their historical, political and economic democracy to implement social justice.  They are employing the credit, producer and consumer elements of co-operative movements effectively against urban/rural poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, poor health and child mortality. They have in the process enlisted the strong support of unions and social and economic collectives. 

The unions in our country are doing well in looking after the interests and employment conditions of workers.  However they place too much bias emphasis on the dogma of workerism and ignore largely organising both the employed and the unemployed majority for ownership, control and management of the national economy to enhance the people's political and economic freedom, except in the second economy. "Make more people owners, they will protect and preserve democracy and freedom, in the same token the property-less, the poor and jobless will be a menace to democracy, nation building and reconciliation." 

The IFP also want to suggest that in programmes of land restitution and distribution and reform, Government should endeavour to make co-operative principles an integral part of any preparation and training for prospective land owners and farm workers.