YCL+on+SACP,+Intelligence,+Youth+Month,+and+1st+National+Congress

YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF SOUTH AFRICA
=PRESS STATEMENT=


 * 13 June 2006**

I. ON THE SACP RELATIONSHIP TO STATE POWER
The Young Communist League notes the Discussion Document of the South African Communist Party titled ‘The relationship of the SACP to State Power’. We further note that the document is published in line with the resolution of the SACP Special National Congress held in April 2005.

We further note the comments attributed to the YCL National Secretary published in various newspapers and news agencies on whether the SACP should stand for elections or not. Some of the comments were taken out of context and should be clarified. This includes the statement on the SACP breaking away from the Alliance. We will deal with this point later.

We further note that the Discussion Document is meant to spark discussions in the structures of the SACP, the YCL and the Alliance. We are aware that there is a commission that has been established, headed by the General Secretary and that the YCL National Secretary is a member of that Commission. We are also aware that the SACP will engage into this Discussion Document and various other issues related to it until the 12th National Congress, where a decision will be taken.

As the YCL, we had an extensive discussion at our Policy and Strategy Conference last August on this matter. We had also developed an extensive Discussion Document with the same title as a contribution towards the SACP Special National Congress.

We reiterate our call for the SACP to stand for elections as a political party and for it to openly express interest to influence parliament, the executive and various institutions which we deem as institutions of power. We believe that there is no political party that takes itself seriously in the current dispensation and yet does not contest for elections. Our view is not a contest for its sake, but a contest paralleled with electoral victory and ultimate control in the various spheres of government. The YCL has always maintained that this contest could begin at a local government level, in order to test the extent within which the SACP can advance the exclusive interest of the working class and the poor.

There are currently members of the SACP and YCL who serve in various structures of governance. Some of these serve in the highest echelons of power. All of these remain accountable and govern on the basis of an ANC crafted and agreed programme. Ensuring that these members are directly accountable to the SACP, and are mandated by the SACP could be one step ahead of ensuring total influence in the Alliance.

We are further aware that for the SACP to stand for elections, this will have an impact on the Alliance. At no point in the utterances of either the National Secretary of the YCL or any member of the National Committee have we advocated for a break in the Alliance. As the YCL, we respect the foundations within which the Alliance was formed, and the democratic principles and programmes that underpins the bond of the alliance. We respect the ANC as the head of the Alliance, and still believe that there is progress that could be made and ground covered by the Alliance in changing the lives of the youth out there.

We are however worried by the manner in which a number of programmes and policies have been undertaken, especially in government. Some of these policies have been endorsed at the exclusion of even the ANC and its alliance partners. We believe that all of these have fuelled a perception of our country sliding towards a dictatorship.

The extent within which forms of engagement in the Alliance have become a mere manner of formality, rather than an intention to transform society is of grave concern to us. We are further worried by new forms of seeking consensus, with most of the engagements never being discussed in the Alliance but ultimately being lobbied in government. This forums includes the Presidential Working Groups, the so called Native Club, the Investment Business Council, whilst other taken the form of golf courses and other ways and means of securing an elite pact. This has not only taken power and influence away from the Alliance, but also from the ANC and its structures.

In that regard, we call on certain sceptics who have not even read the SACP document, flippantly commenting from the towers of parliament and cabinet, to refrain from doing so and constructively engage with the SACP document.

In that regard, as the YCL we believe that the SACP should strengthen its influence in the Alliance. This further means re-orientating the current manner within which the Alliance operates, with extensive consultation rather than exclusive policy development, advocacy and implementation.

The YCL National Congress, scheduled for December 2006 in Kwazulu Natal will provide a solid contribution of the youth into whether the SACP should stand for election or not. Throughout the month of June, we will be convening Seminars and Lectures to ensure that youth engage into these discussions.

II. ON PUBLICISING THE MASETLHA REPORT BY HON. MIN. RONNIE KASRILS.
The YCL is disturbed that hardly days after the Central Committee of the SACP, where, as per the SACP statement, Hon. Min. Ronnie Kasrils gave his word to the meeting that he is not in any way involved in a conspiracy against Jacob Zuma, he then unveils further information in the //Sunday Times// (04 June 2006) around the investigations conducted by Billy Masetlha.

We believe that the information provided for in the media should have been provided to the central Committee for it to independently make up its mind. We are further disturbed that unlike Kasrils’ own investigations and findings, the public has also not been given the benefit of doubt to judge for itself on the contents of the Masetlha investigations. We are of the view that Kasrils should have treated the matter separately.

This morning, we have written to the Minister requesting him to make the investigations by Masetlha available for the public to judge for itself if indeed there is no conspiracy to stop Jacob Zuma to ascend public office. For some time we have been forced to retract our suspicions of an existing political plot aimed at ensuring that the ANC deputy President does not assume any public office. If indeed the Masetlha report is also a hoax, and an illusion of his mind, why is it not made public to prove that there is indeed no political conspiracy?

Whilst we respect the decision of the ANC to decide who its next president should be, we are however convinced that Jacob Zuma is fit for any public office. We further call on those who have laid new charges against him, including fake women groups and individuals such as Nomboniso Gasa to drop those charges immediately. The court has presided over the allegations of rape and Jacob Zuma has been found not guilty.

We note the discussion paper released by the ANC on succession. As the discussion is now officially in the public, we wish to indicate that there should not be an attempt to try; through discussion documents, to undermine the internal processes in the ANC. It will also be fruitless to engage into such a debate, which will ultimately seek to exclude some individuals from contesting the presidential race.

III. OUR ACTIVITIES FOR THE YOUTH MONTH.
The YCL launched its June 16 30th Anniversary Programme in Khutsong late last month. Our main June 16 activity will be in Khayelitsha Stadium on the 17th June 2006. The main speakers at the event will include the ANC Deputy President, the leadership of the SACP and COSATU, leadership of the Young Communist League, ANCYL, SASCO and COSAS.

We will further be commemorating June 16 through the intensification of the Defiance Campaign and the 10 Youth Demands. We will hold a Seminar in provinces and at a national level to discuss the SACP Discussion Documents and consolidate a YCL position.

We view this June 16 as a culmination of the struggle against unemployment, poverty and HIV/IDS; and see it in the context of moving from //anti-Apartheid struggles to anti-Capitalism struggles.//

As an organisation, we are worried by the excessive worship of money amongst young people. Crass materialism has become the order of the day. This has its roots in many ways, including multiple promotion of consumerism on the communication medium targeting exclusively the emerging middle class youth, and the tendency by some struggle heroes to thoughtlessly and in a vulgarised manner accumulate as much money as possible.

This tendency has also encroached itself in the movement, and has corrupted genuine youth who have become vulnerable due to unemployment and poverty. The desire to have as big a house as possible; as porch a car as possible and as much money as possible should be halted and fought against. This desires have resulted into youth resorting to crime and prostitution, whilst destroying the values of a caring and humble society, which we believe the National Democratic Revolution should build.

This characteristics of the youth of 2006, which are not necessarily general, but predominant, are encouraged by a capitalist society built on the values of competition, and have divided our society on the basis of those who have and those who don’t; those who die because of too much food and those who do not; those who are employed and those who are not. The excessive number of youth in prison should be very embarrassing for a newly democratic dispensation.

As an economic policy, black economic empowerment has done too little to bridge this above divide. It has succeeded in only bridging the race divide, whilst further embedded the class divide.

As the YCL, we will work together with the June 16, 76 detachment to ensure that we fight this excessive crass materialism. We will further work with youth in schools, universities, prisons, townships and rural areas to ensure that we restore the values of a caring and humane society, whilst fighting against the dog – eat – dog mentality.

IV. OUR FIRST NATIONAL CONGRESS
Our First National Congress will be held in Umlazi, Mangosuthu Tecknikon from the 13 – 17 December 2006. The congress will be host to a total of 1500 delegates, drawn from our local structures. We will also be inviting local and international friends to honor the occasion.

In August, we will be releasing Discussion Documents focusing on reviewing our founding Manifesto, our Strategic and Tactical Perspectives, Integrated Youth development Programme, Education Transformation, Socio – Economic Transformation and organisation building.

1 – 5 Leyds Street, COSATU House BRAAMFONTEIN JHB, 2000
 * Issued by the Young Communist League National Office

Contact : Castro Ngobese Telephone : 011 339 3621 Mobile : 082 678 2612**

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