IRR publishes in-depth look into ‘pillars’ of EFF economic policy

The IRR this morning published The 7 Economic Pillars of the EFF, an in-depth analysis of the ideological foundations of the EFF’s economic policies.

Hermann Pretorius, IRR head of strategic communications, was joined in a public webinar on the commissioned report by its author, Ivo Vegter.

Vegter, a respected journalist, and a columnist for the IRR’s news and opinion platform, the Daily Friend, stressed that neither the EFF’s policy arguments nor their fundamental underpinnings should flippantly be dismissed.

Vegter warned that simple labels like “socialists” or “leftists”, terms used by the EFF to describe themselves, would fall short of instigating a substantive analysis or conversation about the policies of the party – policies that identified many legitimate concerns, even if they failed spectacularly in putting forward solutions.

On the appeal of many of the EFF’s ideas, and the importance of challenging them, Vegter said: “This is a problem worldwide – socialists have a very appealing message that is often believed by people who do not understand economics themselves, and it is often educated people. This is why I wrote the report … to look at the EFF’s proposals and explain in detail why they are not achievable.

“If you let these ideas stand unchallenged, people are going to look at them and say, ‘This sounds great, we can have all these wonderful things, and we are going to have this great country that we can be proud of ...’. The promises sound lovely. If someone does not gainsay that, you will have a lot of people believing it.

“So, it is important to explain why these promises will not work. The EFF is not Santa Claus, and socialists are not Santa Claus ... Socialism has never delivered on these promises; wherever socialism has been tried, it has failed.”

Says Pretorius: “The EFF is, whatever its opponents might say, a formidable force in South African politics. With the upcoming elections setting up the first real possibility since 1994 of the ANC failing to win a majority to govern on its own at national level, considerations of the policies and values that might set the national agenda through coalition government are now crucial. This is why the IRR commissioned this paper for publication in the buildup to voting day.

“We urge South Africans to read this excellent piece of work and to share its content with others. Only if we take the time to understand what’s at stake when we make democratic decisions can we put to full effect the enormous and important power of the ballot.”

Read the full report here.

Media Contact: Hermann Pretorius IRR Head of Strategic Communications Tel: 079 875 4290 Email: hermann@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za

Sinalo Thuku, Tel: 073 932 8506 Email: sinalo@irr.org.za