THERE might be some who understand Julius Malema's call for the privatisation of the commanding heights of the economy as either brave talk or a return to the ideals of the Freedom Charter.

THERE might be some who understand Julius Malema's call for the privatisation of the commanding heights of the economy as either brave talk or a return to the ideals of the Freedom Charter.

We think Malema's latest pronouncement - interestingly at the launch of the ANC Youth League's National Political School - is a sad reflection of how the ANC remains pliable to reflecting the listening audience or occasion.

The ANC's romantic notion of being a broad church has, so far stood the test of time but the party cannot deny that it brings with it incoherence and unpredictability of what we can expect from the ruling party.

We are not asking that the ANC either abandon or embrace nationalisation of mines and the manufacturing industry.

We are saying it owes it to South Africans, and to a marginally lesser extent investors, to commit to a policy one way or another.

It is essential for the voting public to know who and what they are voting for.

The ruling party cannot create the impression that capitalists are friends - as reflected by the government's support for the selling of the state's stake in Vodacom - and then allow Malema to spew rhetoric about the evils of capitalism.

Otherwise we can safely conclude that the ruling party takes the electorate for voting cattle that will buy into any line it sells.

The ANC's dismissal of Malema's latest mouthful is therefore welcome and necessary. It is no less than what the ruling party owes to the electorate.