Non Negotiable: Cardinal Pillar number 6

79. 
    Trade has been synomymous with aid in Africa. Natural resources have always been at the center of the struggle for the continent. This has resulted in the external fighting turning inward (for resources of the continent). This has led to division and wars amongst the people of Africa being influenced by the West.
    

80. 
    The continent and its people have resolved against forms of aid and opted for African infrastructure and trade within the context of localizing industrialization and developing a strong transport infrastructure that will enhance trade and regional integration for an African economy that then begins to determine its trade relations outside of the continent.
    

81. 
    SA must consider its ability to grow in its national interest in order for it to have solid economic progress and economic independence this must place SA in a position to be part of the accelerating intra regional trade in Africa in order to reduce its dependence on off shore export markets and hence like Mozambique protect itself from external global economic shocks.
    

82. 
    The benefits of Intra African trade will directly create sustainable economies as has been the case in Asia and generate employment in a continent that has a growing population. Ultimately this will reduce poverty and growing inequality.
    

83. 
    The commitment to the African Agenda requires African countries to look internally. Statistics demonstrate that trade between African countries has declined significantly to just around 10%. The tragedy is that the continent has relied on imports from outside to survive whilst in the main exporting its raw material of which a major part of the world depends. This has result in the neglect of intra trade within the continent.
    

84. 
    This confirms that Africa continues its colonial obligation to extract its raw material to meet foreign demand. Further to the challenges facing intra Africa trade is the lack of infrastructure to makes the mode of transportation within the continent viable for trade within the shores of the continent.
    

85. 
    The continent must utilize its 60% of arable land optimally hence ensuring that its trade within its borders are at the benefit of the continent and hence ensuring food security and the security of its natural resources.
    

86. 
    The EFF considers that radical progressive internationalism must be centered on a very transformational approach in multilateralism, social justice and the transformation of global political and economic structures in order to transform the current system of global governance in an equitable and just manner. The global economic crisis of 2007 provides the EFF with an opportunity to agitate for an more socialist world economy with intensified state intervention.
    

87. 
    The analysis made is that the constant eruptions of instability and terrorism in the world and growing instability in the continent are having substantial impact in the militarization of Africa.
    

88. 
    This is in light of the fact that Africa is seen as the continent that has a youthful population and hence with the growing ageing population of the West the reliance of Africa to produce an armed force for battle and war would be convenient in pacifying its own electorate.
    

89. 
    Furthermore the establishment of the Africa Command (AFRICOM) has the consequence of further militarizing Africa with the intention of managing conflict for foreign economic interest.
    

90. 
    The establishment of posts anywhere in the continent is rejected by EFF and EFF furthers calls for strengthened African unity in ensuring that such bases are not established in the region and any existing African Command base.
    

91. 
    Division and war that has ultimately resulted in the breakdown of the social, economic and political structure through apartheid have characterized the situation in Sub Saharan Africa. The creation of economic inequality has
    

92. 
    SA can no longer find itself treading a thin line of appeasement when it faces critical decisions around the massive injustices that have been overlooked by international structures that claim to uphold human rights and social justice.
    

93. 
    This is evident particularly in the current crisis facing Palestine, which has not seen any conclusion over decades and is perpetuated by a stance that seems to avoid conflict with Israel.
    

94. 
    Financial interest has seemingly overshadowed the glaring atrocities that Israel has committed with a very mediocre stance taken by the ANC and its government in so far as its mission abroad and Israel presence in SA. This equally applies to the situation in Western Sahara.
    

95. 
    The current US Africa Leaders Summit is a striking example of the perceived development of Africa but is in fact counterbalancing of emerging economies and the assertion of US super power status in Washington. This when Washington fails to recognize democratically elected African leaders and countries that have openly disrespected the African Union.
    

96. 
    Both the President of Zimbabwe and the Saharawi Republic were not part of the Summit, which is an open demonstration of disrespect of the Continent’s position on these states.
    

97. 
    The single goal of the US is to realign the global power shift from East to West and any case for development has been long lost as we have not seen the so called development, aid and peace keeping initiative in the continent yielding any positive outcomes. Poverty, inequality and unemployment have increased and the continent still suffers massive insecurity and instability due to growing terrorism and strife.
    

98. 
    It is hence that the EFF considers looking East for progressively relations as opposed to West, however not withstanding the potential threats of influence and conditions in the national interest and in order to achieve full prosperity for the continent.
    

99. 
    The balance of forces in the world have post the Cold War have substantially shifted, however if not carefully guarded Africa’s people and resources will remain the most compromised and exploited by either successor of world super power.
    

100. 
     The reality is that Africa in particular and South Africa in general remain the most strategic continent, people and resources in order to secure control over the globe. In order to make a succinct analysis of international balance of forces it is the submission of the EFF that the African continent is fully resourced to capture and drive economic freedom.
     

101. 
     The fallacy that globalization has promised advancements and hence development in the continent have only be for the advancement of the developing world through the continents raw material and this we see through the stagnated bridging of the digital divide and making information and access to technology available to rural Africa.
     

102. 
     Further the miscalculation that the G20 will ultimately liberate the structural weaknesses of the current global economy from its failures is a further indication that our hurried active participation in international global structures continues to undermine the value of harnessing our commitment to domestic and continental economy.
     

103. 
     The assertion that must be made therefore is one that would admit that expediency has been at the center of current approach for multilateralism in SA as opposed to a radical transformation of the systems of global governance and ensuring change through agreements based on national interest as a non negotiable.
     

104. 
     The contradictions in the current analysis being made around multilateralism and multi polarity displacing unilateralism in the international system fails with the focus on bilateral systems having been part of the domain and the cyclical nature of power relations that will create an illusion of a multi lateral global system that will achieve the ends of singular states and systems that have long controlled the global system.
     

105. 
     This especially when South Africa is unable to exercise its role in the African Union as it did with the tragedy that transpired in Libya through NATO and similarly its lack of leadership in Tunisia and Egypt, how then does it expect to weigh in on multi lateral institutions in the world when it is unable to exercise decisive leadership within the continent.
     

106. 
     The imperative must therefore be to ensure the smooth governance, democracy and economy of the continent before global institutions. This requires a radical approach to transforming the global systems of governance by reasserting the systems of governance within the continent. This has resulted in massive distrust in the continent of SA.
     

107. 
     The EFF resolves that there is a need for the building of solidarity within the continent and establishing relationships with like minded organisations in the continent and in the world and further strengthening the call for economic freedom by establishing a global movement for economic freedom.
     

108. 
     The EFF’s focus on internationalism inclines the party to consolidate and engage on global issues and align with progressive socialist organisations internationally.
     

109. 
     We note the emergence of progressive internationalism in Latin America that requires our interaction in order to enhance and realize our position on Anti imperialism. Our interactions must be based on solidarity with the people and societies towards ensuring that progressive internationalism is radicalized towards economic freedom for our people.
     

110. 
     This will ensure that engagements on matters affecting global dynamics including the global economy and globalization are paramount towards the radical transformation of global structures and powers.
     

111. 
     The EFF will pioneer a continental fight on the current neo liberal outlook by ensuring the radicalization of the African Union uphold anti-imperialism, respect for sovereignty and multilaterally approved interventions as opposed to interference into the affairs of sovereign and democratically elected countries.
     

112. 
     EFF will strengthen political, social and economic- relations with all progressive African countries for the advancement of freedom, peace, security and development.
     

113. 
     EFF will also pursue greater economic integration within the African continent starting with the pursuit of a SADC wide customs union.
     

114. 
     This will be done by convening a gathering of African organisations and economic freedom fighters from all over the continent and the world in order to build a continent wide economic freedom movement that rejects the west and its effort of sustaining world domination through the exploitation of the continents people and resources.
     

115. 
     Central to the task for leading the continent and worlds progressive movement is building strong generational consciousness and urgency towards the much-anticipated economic freedom for the continent.
     

116. 
     The youth of the continent are in numerical advantage and ought to occupy positions of leadership as a means of determining the agenda for Africa and the world as it lays out the agenda for development and industrialization of the continent in order to address the imbalanced political economy of the continent and strive towards African unity and prosperity.
     

117. 
     The establishment and building of strong African systems of governance by giving effect to the legislative authority of the region and the continent with regard to trade, politics and aid.
     

118. 
     This will set the platform for a coherent African Agenda and therefore rebuilding the trust deficit of South Africa in the continent and realigning the role of Africa’s participation from a position of power in the global economy by radically transforming the global systems of governance.
     

119. 
     The drastic change of attitude of the relations of SA approach from dialogue from North to South to action and cooperation to economic freedom.
     

120. 
     This will realize the socialist south and dismiss the current eclectic approach that is directionless to one that incubates prosperity for all and emancipation from perpetual oppression.
     

121. 
     EFF is certain that its efforts towards leading Africa and the worlds progressive movements will culminate in building solidarity continentally and internally and ultimately changing the balance of forces towards progressive revolutionary internationalism and not diplomacy.
     

122. 
     The building of African solidarity will allow for the pursuing of relations and engagements with like minded organisations and formations that seek to define the continents strategic global value based on economic freedom through a framework of social justice.
     

Our campaigns will include the quashing of apartheid debt and calling for a revolutionary transformation agenda as opposed to a diplomatic one but in the main will drive the African Agenda and secure that internationalism is progressive and revolutionary have a radical plan as opposed to only solidarity.

123. 
     In order to achieve radical progressive internationalism the EFF is committed to ensuring that Research and Development is at the center of its understanding of the global trends and shifts of politics and the economy.
     

124. 
     In so doing it is an imperative that centres of excellence are established and that exchange programmes are encouraged for the exchange of skills, ideas and development for members of the party and those committed to Economic Freedom in our lifetime.