Polokwane - South Africans must never apologise for wanting to fix the wrongs of apartheid's economic exclusion of black people in the country, Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha said on Thursday.
“Therefore to reverse the effects of this policy, we need radical economic policy that will affirm the black majority. We must never ever apologise for wanting to right the wrongs of apartheid,” he said at a Freedom Day event at the University of Limpopo in Mankweng, east of Polokwane.
However, he warned that “radical economic transformation” will face defiance from those who are benefiting from the legacy of apartheid policy.
“Like any other struggle, a struggle for total economic liberation of the black masses will be opposed. Those who oppose our freedom struggle, oppose it because they did not want us to share in the wealth of this country.”
He said those against transformation will not give up easily, and will fight for white privileged to continue.
He said it was the duty of the ruling party to ensure that South Africans share the economic spoils of the country.
Mathabatha also said radical economic transformation is not a new messenger, but is repeatedly preached to fast track the fight against "the frontiers of poverty."
Mathabatha says if corruption is allowed to reign, government will fail to build schools and hospitals for the future generations.
He said corruption had the tendency of producing selective wealthy people in the society.
“In one country where I was stationed, when you find a billionaire or trillionaire - either that person is a politician or son of a politician, wife of a politician, son of a politician” said Mathabatha.
“What we are saying as [the] ruling party [is], help us fight and deal with corruption wherever it manifests itself, because is a cancer that will devour that idea [slain struggle her] Solomon Mahlangu fought for.”