In their article "Our economy is not as healthy as we think" (Sowetan, January 7), SACP leaders Blade Nzimande and Jeremy Cronin seemed to advance arguments for urgent economic reforms.

In their article "Our economy is not as healthy as we think" (Sowetan, January 7), SACP leaders Blade Nzimande and Jeremy Cronin seemed to advance arguments for urgent economic reforms.

In exposing the "myths" in our economy they are obviously reluctant to spell out that with current economic policies embraced by the alliance, the black majority are simply sophisticated drawers of water and the hewers of wood.

Their policies are worsening social and economic inequalities. They are elitist and against egalitarian ideals of distributive justice.

The SACP leaders should have informed readers of the critical distinction between economic growth and economic development. The former refers to narrow national income expansion which is benefiting a minority, whereas economic development focuses on addressing general improvement in the economic and social wellbeing of society as a whole.

This will happen only when the poor majority are active participants in decision making and can implement economic development. Not only as workers but as owners, controllers and managers of their economy.

Without economic emancipation, the poor pin their hopes on the shifting sands of a hollow liberation.

MB Skosana, Cape Town