Cronin: Malema's delicate skin
2009-11-25 22:17
Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League and SA Communist deputy general-secretary have buried the hatchet after their spat over the nationalisation of the mines.
"We are particularly relieved that Comrade Cronin engages with the youth league's call for nationalisation after re-reading the conceptual framework we released in July 2009," the league said in a statement on Wednesday.
Cronin published a piece explaining his position and apologising for aspects of the publication that started the furore.
"The youth league holds Comrade Jeremy Cronin in high regard and appreciates the fact that he is one of the best intellectuals produced by the revolutionary movement," it said.
'Off-the-wall sound-bytes'
The league and the SACP clashed over the issue after Cronin published an analysis of the issues surrounding mine nationalisation.
In it, he criticised ANCYL president Julius Malema and the league's call for nationalisation, saying: "Comrade Malema hasn't always helped his case with off-the-wall sound-bytes.
"The impression of a policy being made on the hoof, individualistically, is reinforced by the fact that we are yet to see any serious attempt at a collective policy document on this matter from the ANCYL."
Malema responded to this by describing the piece penned by Cronin as "openly reactionary".
He said he did "not need the permission of white political messiahs to think".
Malema described it as "sad" that Cronin "decided to isolate me" from a league resolution in which it outlined its stance on nationalisation: ".... the State should be custodian of the people in its ownership, extraction, production and trade of mineral wealth beneath the soil, monopoly industries and banks".
Statement made in jest
On mineral beneficiation Malema said Cronin reduced the league's call for this to an "obsession with bling".
Cronin then wrote another piece, clarifying his position and showing that it was not vastly different from that of the league.
He apologised for suggesting "more in jest than seriously" that Malema thought of beneficiation largely in terms of bling.
"It is here that I made my own misstep. I was trying to introduce a touch of polemical spice into what can sometimes be a dry topic," he said.
"It was a silly comment and I apologise. I had not realised that... Malema had such a delicate skin."
The league accepted his apology, saying he "has risen above narrow squabbles and accepts on areas he erred".
"Comrade Jeremy’s latest intervention proves that the debate on nationalisation is a complex question," the league said.
The league would "be engaging with all progressive forces to consolidate the most coherent, developmental and helpful model of nationalisation of mines, which will benefit all people".
- SAPA