ANC “revenge” policies against minorities “shackle” the black majority…
The South African government "loves to view things based on revenge policies" against minorities whilst "forgetting that the same bills…are actually creating more hurdles" for the majority. So says Free SA's Noluthando Hlophoyi. In this interview with BizNews, she describes the National State Enterprises Bill as "State Capture 2.0" and the Land Expropriation Bill as "a huge threat". She also slams the NHI Bill. "…I always say these bills aren't meant to empower the ordinary black person. If I were just to put it in terms of colour, they are also meant to put more shackles on us and to actually give the government more power over our lives because apparently we can't think for ourselves…"
Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.
The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here.
If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.
Listen here
Extended transcript of the interview ___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Chris Steyn (00:01.869)
It is feared that the proposed National State Enterprises Bill is a dangerous step to even more unchecked state control over South Africa's economy. We speak to Free SA's Noluthando Hlophoyi. Welcome.
Nolu Hlophoyi (00:17.325)
Thank you, Chris, so much for having me.
Chris Steyn (00:19.663)
Thank you. What is this bill, the purpose of it, in a nutshell?
Nolu Hlophoyi (00:23.833)
So the purpose of this bill is for the government actually to set up a new company which will actually house all our state enterprises right now. So essentially that's what the bill is about currently.
Chris Steyn (00:37.059)
And what are your main concerns with this bill?
Nolu Hlophoyi (00:39.247)
So the main concern is we firstly see this as State Capture 2.0 because it means that there will be a lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to the way that our state enterprise are actually operated. So our concerns is firstly that and also the part that means that we will need now to use more taxpayers money to set up this company. As I said, essentially, it is also a lack of accountability and then we know for a fact currently right now that most of our state enterprises are struggling financially. This will also, we also have concerns that this will might mean that we might not see the glory days of a state enterprise the way they are able to make to be profitable.
Chris Steyn (01:22.659)
And you don't think that an oversight body like this could improve the performance of some of these parastatals.
Nolu Hlophoyi (01:30.138)
The issue, I don't think we need another big organisation that can actually bring about change into these state enterprises. Currently, we are seeing some progress when it comes to ESKOM. So right now, the solution is not to create a mother company that will actually solve this. The problem is to actually solve them as they are currently. So that's what we believe as Free S.
Chris Steyn (01:59.169)
Okay, what about this, the Land Expropriation Bill that has been signed that has caused a great deal of controversy? What's FreeSA's view of that?
Nolu Hlophoyi (02:11.504)
So we are, of course, we are against the bill because we understand that it is actually a threat to private property. And the unfortunate thing we always think that private property is only just bigger companies or farm owners. But it also means that if I as an ordinary citizen also have a small land or farm, this bill might actually affect me as an ordinary South African.
And as you know, currently the government actually does own the majority of land. So the government actually wants further control and ownership when it comes to private property. So this is quite a huge threat, especially in a time where this might also affect the confidence when it comes to investors, because it might mean that as an investor, my private ownership of property, it might not be protected. So this might harm our economy in ways that we can't actually imagine.
Chris Steyn (03:05.445)
Now, what would you urge the public to do, just going back to the National State Enterprises Bill, to try and stop that from being signed?
Nolu Hlophoyi (03:14.737)
To kind of go to a Free SA site where you can have your views on this campaign. That's where you find all our current campaigns, and you can have your say there because it's important for the public to have the say. And your voice does matter as a South African.
Chris Steyn (03:32.175)
But have you not noticed that people are losing faith in the public participation process? I mean, what difference did it make when it came to the signing of the BELA Bill of the Land Expropriation Bill?
Nolu Hlophoyi (03:45.906)
Chris, you know, that's one thing when it comes to a government like, if I have to say, the ANC, it wants us to actually lose confidence. It wants us to say, it's fine, let's just continue to live like this. But to you and I both, if we stay in the pig style of a house, we will continue just rolling over and over with no change. But when we continue to try cleaning and participating, I'm just using that as an example, that also means that you are continuing doing something.
And we never know when the change actually might happen. So we can't sit back. We can't. We are still paying tax. We are still living in this country. And most of us love this country. So we can't allow this government to… It's a fear tactic to say that we do not matter, but rather I would say that we do matter as a citizen of this country. So don't lose faith. Please continue having your say in these public participation platforms like Free SA.
Chris Steyn (04:42.559)
What other campaigns are you running at the moment?
Nolu Hlophoyi (04:45.234)
So as we've mentioned, it's the State Capture one as well as the Expropriation Bill one, the BELA Bill as well, just to name a few on top of my head. But you can go further to see more of our campaigns that are currently open on our website.
Chris Steyn (05:04.549)
Okay, what was the purpose in establishing Free SA? Tell us more about it.
Nolu Hlophoyi (05:09.906)
So the purpose, of course, was to, I'd say, to motivate the public participation and also to stir some debate and to for an awareness as of to what is going on. So our main goal is to empower people through public participation in matters that are affecting you as a citizen on a daily basis, even when you might think that they aren't, they are affecting you on a daily basis. So that's the purpose of it of establishing Free SA.
Chris Steyn (05:40.933)
What's the next campaign for you after the National State Enterprises Bill?
Nolu Hlophoyi (05:45.714)
So. The big one, of course, is still going to be of course the Expropriation Bill. We've written to the Minister of Education when it comes to the BELA Bill as well. So those are the major ones currently. And as you know, there are others that we actually are focusing, but these are the major ones that we have been getting media and sharing our views on them and our concerns.
Chris Steyn (06:14.393)
What about the NHI?
Nolu Hlophoyi (06:17.427)
So that's another, I'm sorry, I'm not laughing because it's also another stressful bill, which actually it is also part of our campaigns that we're focusing into. And we've had media coverage before on this campaign. So on that one, as you know, we are also opposing it. And it's one of those campaigns that, like we know, or rather bills, that are not meant to empower the ordinary citizen.
When I say empower, our current government loves to view things based on revenge policies, if I were to put it like that. Yet they also affect the further regress on the majority, in this case, black people. So it's all about looking at the minorities, attacking the minorities and wanting and creating these bills as a hurdle for us as black people not to even go further because currently I remember the Minister of Health saying that the people opposing the NHI are white people because they are the ones who are the majority when it comes to medical aids and black people are currently 10%. And I was quite furious because it's the growing number of black, there's going to be more. I'm yet to have my children, I've got niece and nephews who are going to work and have these medical aids. So it's not about the fact that we are growing 10%.
So that's one of the things that actually are quite frustrating that you always want to go for minorities and forgetting that the same bills that you are actually putting before us, they are actually creating more hurdles for us. So I always say these bills aren't meant to empower the ordinary black person. If I were just to put it in terms of colour, they are also meant to put more shackles on us and to actually give the government more power over our lives because apparently we can't think for ourselves. We can't choose as South Africans, like South Africans. So those are our concerns when comes to the NHI currently.
Chris Steyn (08:27.151)
Thank you. That was Free SA's Noluthando Hlophoyi speaking to BizNews, and I'm Chris Steyn Thank you.
Nolu Hlophoyi (08:34.065)
Thank you so much for having me.
Read also: