Masetlha+opts+for+Zuma+rally,+Musgrave+and+West,+B+Day+Weekender

Business Day Weekender, 17 June 2006
=Masetlha opts for Zuma rally=


 * AMY MUSGRAVE and EDWARD WEST**

FORMER National Intelligence Agency (NIA) boss Billy Masetlha snubbed Friday’s “Class of 76” awards handed out by the presidency in Johannesburg, opting instead to attend Jacob Zuma’s youth day rally in Durban.

In the only reminder of bitter internal ANC wrangling at Friday’s Youth Day events, the former NIA director-general, fired by President Thabo Mbeki for his role in the hoax e-mail saga, was the only recipient not present to collect his certificate for his role in the student rebellion in 1976.

It is not clear whether Masetlha received an invitation for the Johannesburg function. He was seated on the podium behind Zuma and other alliance leaders at the packed Durban meeting.

Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad presented the awards at the Johannesburg ceremony.

Masetlha’s snub was the only anomaly during events some feared would further polarise factions within the ANC.

In their speeches, both Mbeki and Zuma drew attention to the need for youth development.

Mbeki addressed a gathering attended by tens of thousands of people in Soweto on Friday, while Zuma, the main speaker in Durban, spoke to a capacity crowd.

Zuma was flanked by South African Communist Party (SACP) general secretary Blade Nzimande, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi and ANC Youth League president Fikile Mbalula.

Last year KwaZulu-Natal premier S’bu Ndebele, a key Mbeki ally, was pelted by angry Zuma supporters after Mbeki’s decision to fire his deputy from the cabinet. Since then, the ANC has tried to paper over the cracks as the organisation struggles to maintain unity in the face of the political fallout.

Mbeki told the gathering that the youth of 1976, who took to the streets in protest against apartheid oppression, proved that it was possible for young people to confront challenges facing them.

He said today’s youngsters needed to be unwavering in their commitment to face modern challenges. These included poverty, unemployment, alcohol and drug abuse, AIDS, illiteracy, and women and child abuse.

In spite of the progress that had been made since the Soweto uprisings, one of the biggest challenges in the country remained reducing youth unemployment.

Mbeki said 100 new youth advisory centres would be set up in all the provinces to ensure the full participation of youngsters in the democratic and development processes in the country.

Mbeki appealed to South Africans to help youngsters defeat the boredom and absence of opportunities that led to antisocial activity.

Zuma told his supporters that the youth should play an active role in local government development by assisting and questioning local councilors on the issue of delivery. He said it was possible to change the face of the country with vigorous participation by the youth. Higher economic growth was necessary to eradicate poverty and unemployment, and job-creating opportunities were needed.

Zuma also played down divisions in the ANC and said the party had always been able to find solutions to its problems. The values of nonfactionalism, equality and collective leadership had enabled it to stand the test of time, he said. “These are principles our youth must take into the future.”

The youth league’s Mbalula said it was untrue that the young were not interested in politics. Referring to the succession race in the ANC, he said the youth would determine their leaders and would not allow themselves to be ruled by “surprise leaders".

Vavi said it was up to the people to choose the next president.

“We are ANC members, we are Cosatu members, we are members of the Communist Party.

“It is all those organisations which decided that Zuma should be supported.”


 * From: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/weekender.aspx?ID=BD4A217207**

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