So the EFF is calling for the nationalisation of banks without compensation, in 2017? After the repeated failure of nationalisation the world over, there are young leaders in SA who still think it works!

I often say education remains useless if leaders are not willing to embrace economic common sense. When the Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters was formed, one of the key reasons Namibians rejected it point blank was because of its obsession with a failure like nationalisation.

Namibian voters rejected and killed NEFF at its very first participation in elections. How does a party that claims to be against corruption call for more state ownership when every state-owned enterprise is captured?

What does it think that will achieve? Will we not see a spike in the illicit moving of money out of the country? The state has never had the competency to run anything and yet they are calling for more state ownership. EFF leaders should try taking economics 101. Nationalisation will completely destroy South Africa.

Zambia, Tanzania and many other African countries tried it, with catastrophic economic results. What more evidence do we need?

This country needs economic growth, and this notion that for black people to own the economy they must take from others is a fallacy! To own the economy you must participate in it.

We should be asking why in 23 years we haven't created banks and factories to add to those existing pre-1994? Creating our own will give us ownership. Because, frankly, no one is standing in our way except leaders who promise the impossible.

Self-made black millionaires like Vusi Thembekwayo, DJ Black Coffee and Tommy Makgatho are proof that no one is standing in the way of blacks. We just need a supportive government which, unfortunately, we don't have.

Thandeka Khoza, e-mail