ANCYL demands dismantling big business hold on economy

The ANC youth league looks forward to celebrating youth day when there will be no poverty and service delivery will have improved.

This was said by Keith Maphutha, league’s chairperson of the Andrew Radebe branch, ward 116 when reflecting on the commemoration of 16 June and the youth month.

On the day in 1976 many students where killed by the police while protesting against bantu education.

“Twenty years into democracy, poverty is still rampant and poor service delivery is entrenched impacting severely on the majority black population. Democracy has not brought significant material gain to them as they are excluded from economic power,” said Maphutha.

He said the nation needed decisive leadership to uphold and implement progressive programmes to fulfil the freedom charter and the constitution on issues of fairness, equality and a better life for all.

“The programme should align with the league’s 2011 congress resolutions which will be re emphasized at this year’s follow up congress which demand for economic freedom during our life time, expropriation of land without compensation, nationalization of mines and other national resources and, free and fair education up to tertiary level.”

He said implementing these resolutions will be part of the national transformation process to help ease restlessness in society and help avert a time bomb ready to explode due to the poor’s frustration on the lack of service delivery.

Maphuthu accused big conglomerates which he alleged controlled the economy. “Their monopoly should be dismantled to ensure resources also devolved to the majority to ease the social tensions and address deepening of inequality which makes South Africa the most unequal society globally.”

The companies he enriched themselves unfairly through national and government resources which they failed to plough back to communities to help the youths through bursaries for the education. “Targets for bursaries should be set for them for courses in banking, commerce, engineering and science and, include mentoring to enable the poor but intelligent children to be engaged in these professions which control the economy. “With qualifications, government will be expected to help them start their own companies and to employ others which will help to reduce unemployment and crime.”

Maphutha also stressed a need for parental involvement in children’s education. “Education should be new struggle for economic freedom and should start from early childhood to tertiary with parents playing an active role through daily homework supervision, attending school meetings and should seek advice from experts when in doubt.”

He urged government to also improve its bursary schemes to ensure all deserving children access them on time.