'Tenderisation’ of state must be fought - Nzimande

Nzimande made the remarks during a virtual rally to mark the SACP’s 99th birthday.

It also comes amid growing reports around corruption and dodgy tenders linked to the battle against Covid-19.

Nzimande said the looters of public resources must know that they will soon be given orange overalls to wear.

“We must intensify the struggle to end the ‘tenderisation’ of the state, the corruption it breeds and tackles its associated tendencies, ‘tenderpreneurs’ and their Covid-19 manifestation, the ‘covidpreneurs’.

“Every cent in the government’s Covid-19 expenditure must be accounted for. Those involved in fruitless and wasteful expenditure, corruption and looting, must be taken to task and held to account. This must include successful prosecution and severe sentences, asset forfeiture and other forms of lawful punishment.”

He said it’s also important for law enforcement agencies to act without fear or favour.

“The rising inequality, unemployment, poverty and unequal development are indicators of conditions of the masses were a few have been empowered through state power, including state policy and tenders.

“The SACP is warming against this self-distrusting tragedy of empowering a few while the majority continue to he impoverished.”

At the same time Nzimande slammed Treasury’s decision to apply for funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help fund the battle against Covid-19.

“The National Treasury has embarked on the dangerous path of increasing the accumulation of foreign currency-denominated debt as a solution. To defend our country’s democratic national sovereignty, our fundamental right to self-determination, our hard-won democracy, the SACP rejects domestication of foreign economic agendas including the neoliberal structural reforms pushed by the IMF and its ilk,” he said.

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