Carl Niehaus launches Radical Economic Transformation Movement

The Radical Economic Transformation Movement (Retmo) launched by expelled ANC member Carl Niehaus intends to sustain itself via crowdfunding, membership fees and donations to avoid ending up “in the pockets of a few monopoly capitalists” who will “give money with strings attached”.

Niehaus made the remarks while hosting a Twitter space on Wednesday night, where he also announced the board of Retmo and presented its objectives. At its height, around 450 people joined the space.

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Niehaus was expelled from the ANC in early December after being found guilty of misconduct. Two weeks later, he announced his “resignation” from the party he had been a member of for more than 40 years.

The Twitter space was the second Niehaus hosted this week. He announced the birth of Retmo on Monday night, which is to be registered as an NPO and may transform into a political party.

“The Radical Economic Transformation Movement will have to play a unified role but will have to remain true to its radical economic transformation commitment that will truly liberate our people from the subjugation of white monopoly capital and the exploitation that goes with it,” said Niehaus.

The overall objective of the movement was to work with “all progressive forces… to challenge and bring to an end the continuing new colonial economic oppression of the people of South Africa”.

Progressive forces, according to Niehaus, were those that were “to the left of the African National Congress”.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-07-05-from-our-archives-carl-niehaus-against-the-world/

Retmo’s organisational objectives included the grassroots promotion of economic transformation to enable the empowerment of black people. This would result in blacks owning the economy “and so determining their own futures without being exploited by white monopoly capital”, said Niehaus.

The movement would also lobby to "increase the role of black women and youth in the South African economy", he said, "and make land available to the masses".

The South African government’s pursing of these objectives was “ever diminishing”, said Niehaus, but Retmo would nevertheless lobby and challenge the government in attaining RET goals. 

The organisational objectives were not set in stone, said Niehaus, and were open to further input and contribution. But, he emphasised, Retmo would be free of “pettiness”.

“The central pillar of what we want to achieve is to put pettiness aside and put aside ideological battles. We are going to be practical, disciplined and put unity forward as our most important objective.”

Retmo was “engaging” with the EFF as one of the “progressive forces” envisioned as supporting the movement, said Niehaus, “but there are many other movements and associations that are advanced in radical economic transformation and deserve our engagement and attention”.

The “quest” to bring about radical change in the country involved all people, said Niehaus. When referring to black people in Retmo’s objectives, he said, it was used as a generic term referring to black, coloured and Indians “with a very specific emphasis on black people, especially women, workers and youth”.

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“The number of black people must be increased who own enterprises, through human resources and skills development”.

Niehaus said he had been proposed as the chairman of the Retmo board. The other proposed board members were ANC MP Mervyn Dirks, Mary Phadi, who is the president of the SA Truckers Association, ambassador Faizel Moosa, Nkosentsha Shezi, who is considered a long-time RET ambassador in KZN, and businesswoman Siyalithatha Ilizwe.

The board members, Niehaus said, would be a working committee and would have to “roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in establishing the RET movement”.

Retmo would not be top-heavy, he said, and the board — which is yet to meet physically — would not be dictatorial. The movement would have structures at a national, provincial, regional and local level.

Membership to Retmo would be available for individuals and organisations. There would be a nominal annual registration fee he said, and membership was open to “all South Africans and registered companies” who associated themselves with the fundamental ideals of the movement.

Membership fees were yet to be determined, but members and organisations could also donate to Retmo, said Niehaus. Provision would be made for a monthly debit order as an additional revenue source for Retmo. This would be seen as a “commitment” to the movement, he said. 

Niehaus said he had been “inundated” with calls from people “impatiently” asking how they could join the movement. 

“We are hopeful that our legal team will have finished the registration of Retmo by the end of this week or very early next week. A launch press conference will then be held, where the board members will be present to address the media and unveil the logo of the movement.” DM