YCL,+National+Committee+and+Launch+of+Defiance+Campaign

PRESS ALERT AND INVITE:
=LAUNCH OF THE DEFIANCE CAMPAIGN=


 * The National Committee of the YCL will be meeting over the weekend from the 17-19 March 2005 in Bloemfontein. The meeting will then proceed into a Mass Rally to launch the Defiance Campaign.**


 * The Mass Rally will be on the**
 * Date: 19th March 2006,**
 * Time: starting at 10h00 at**
 * Venue: Botshabelo Sports Arena.**


 * __Speakers at the Mass Rally__**


 * The National Secretary of the YCL, Buti Manamela, together with the General Secretary of the NUM and member of the SACP Politburo, Gwede Mantatse, and the Deputy General Secretary of COSATU, Bheki Ntshalintshali will address the congregating mass.**

The National Committee will discuss a number of issues including:

 * The SACP and State Power, based on a discussion document released by the SACP Central Committee, available at [|www.sacp.org.za],
 * The recently released Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (ASGISA), which we believe will have an impact on the lives of youth in the country,
 * The continuing rape trial of the Deputy President of the ANC, Jacob Zuma, in the Johannesburg High Court;
 * Assessment of the Local Government Elections and the appointment of Mayors, including a proposed programme for changing the lives of youth through local government;
 * The 30th Anniversary of June 16, programmes and activities of the YCL;

The National Committee will be addressed by the General Secretary of the SACP, **Dr. Blade Nzimande**, on the SACP Central Committee Discussion Documents and the attitude of the SACP towards the ASGISA.

A further briefing from **Welshman Ncube**, the current General Secretary of the ‘Movement for Democratic Change’ (Zimbabwe), and a summary of a presentation made by the President of PUDEMO (Swaziland) on the situation in those countries will be heard by the National Committee.

Members of the media are invited to the Mass Rally at Botshabelo Sports Arena.


 * What is the Defiance Campaign?**

Drawn from the 1950’ s programme against Apartheid, the Defiance Campaign is meant to mobilise young people to fight against and defy the conditions that they live under. This includes unemployment, lack of access to education, HIV/AIDS, sexual and child abuse and are trapped in poverty. Through the Defiance Campaign, young people will forcefully but peacefully demand a change in their lives, a situation which is not of their making.

The YCL will mobilise these young people to expose the inequities of the current democratic post- Apartheid state, and ensure that these young people are at the forefront of changing their lives.


 * Activities on the Defiance Campaign.**

The first of the four phases of the Defiance Campaign will include demonstrations, pickets and marches targeted at: - Government Institutions; - Private business; - Parastatals, and - Institutions of learning.

The Defiance Campaign is also within the spirit of the 30th Anniversary of June 16, an event the YCL will commemorate throughout this year with actions and defiance.

For interviews CONTACT Buti Manamela @ 082 567 3557**
 * For details of the meeting CONTACT Lesley Kwena @ 082 731 5836.