It is because of this South Africa remains an exporter of raw and semiprocessed materials, and an importer and consumer of finished products. South Africa's top export to China is mineral resources, and our top import from China is machinery. Our top export to the United States is precious minerals, and our top import is machinery. The very minerals which the people of South Africa extract and sell are being sold back to them as finished products 10 times their original cost. If we continue along this path our country will stay in a perpetual state of underdevelopment, and our people will continue to live in misery. For government to begin the process of transforming the economy, it must start by taking control of the means of production, and developing the forces of production.
