KANYAMAZANE – The struggle is alive and well among the youth of Mpumalanga.
This was the overall message conveyed by the ANC and the ANC Youth League (Ancyl) leaders on Sunday, the second of a three-day elective conference for the ruling party’s youth league in the province.
Ancyl says “somebody from Mpumalanga must be elected to the top six of the ANC executive committee next year”. However, the “father” and “son” pulled no punches in an attempt to school each other: the one in tradition and leadership, the other in the “third revolution”.
ANC provincial chairman, Mr David Mabuza blamed poor leadership and decisions for the “fatal fault” of allowing the EFF to be born in Ancyl.
“I am still grappling with that. We allowed people who were not ready, to lead,” Mabuza said.
He warned members to guard against electing “people on the street”, who were not real revolutionaries, and “not well cooked”.
The chairman expressed a number of other areas of concern to the party, namely that the league did not convene the conference itself as well as a perceived lack of discipline among members and the development of a culture of violence, which members had to quell.
“Discipline is very important. You cannot conduct a struggle without discipline.
“Those who are elected must know that they must convene a conference so that they can be voted out. Leaders will come and leaders will go. If it is your time to come, come in. If it is your time to go, go out.”
Mabuza hinted, “We will work with you for the remaining period we are still in Mpumalanga.”
Ancyl president, Mr Collen Maine undertook that the league would demonstrate it could mobilise people to vote for the ANC on August 3. He insisted that businessmen should not be leaders in government and that those with the means should assist the president, Mr Jacob Zuma in paying back the R7,8 million for upgrades to Nkandla.
The youth league’s message holds many similarities to that of the new party looking for “economic freedom in our lifetime.” The conference theme was radical youth empowerment through skills and job creation “in our lifetime” and the ANC “anthem”: #asinavalo (translated into “we are not afraid”).
The Ancyl wants a “third revolution”, free education and to “crack the economy of white capital”.
“White capital does not want to see us rich. They think the black man was born to be poor,” he said. Maine wants young blood in the ANC leadership, jobs, homes and land for youths as well as capital for their businesses and free higher education.
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He did not hold back in his criticism of the party though. “The ANC is more afraid of markets than the people.”
Maine swiped at minister for higher education, Dr Blade Nzimande for being unable to provide free higher education to the poor 10 years after the party had resolved to do so. “I only see pseudo or fake communists.”
He condemned the party’s double speak on the youth league’s son, SABC operational head, Mr Hlaudi Motsaneng. “We don’t understand the different mouths with which the ANC talks about the SABC. All of this is because of the 90 per cent local content policy.”
He similarly commended sports minister, Mr Fikile Mbalula for his line on transformation in sport. “We need people like Mbalula, we don’t need a commission, we need someone who can make decisions.”
He encouraged the youth to do the right thing. “We must be prepared to be unpopular. How can you go to sleep as a revolutionary when you know people are going to bed hungry?”
Mabuza left them with an instruction to help the party win the election on August 3. “We are challenged. The environment has changed.”
- Read more: Ancyl in favour of cabinet reshuffle
