YCL+calls+on+Afrikaner+youth+to+be+part+of+progressive+youth

YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF SOUTH AFRICA, PRESS STATEMENT, 06 October 2006
=YCL CALLS ON THE AFRIKANER YOUTH TO BE PART OF THE PROGRESSIVE YOUTH MOVEMENT TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACING THE YOUTH IN THE COUNTRY.=

The Young Communist League notes the concerns and the demands as raised by the AfriForum around the impact of affirmative action on white young South Africans. We share the sentiment of the white young South Africans who marched to the Union Buildings to express their dissatisfaction that we cannot afford to have freedom of one racial group at the expense of others, and equally, that the reverse side of Apartheid is its opposite twin, black domination.

The reality in our country is that white people remain better off than their black counterparts, whatever their age, gender or beliefs. We dare not avoid that reality, especially the Afrikaner youth.

We believe that the issues that they are raising cannot be reduced to racialism and discrimination, and cannot be won by one racial group fighting against the interest of the other mainly because they affect the majority of the poor and working class youth of our country irrespective of their colour.

The matters raised by the Afrikaner youth are genuine and legitimate. As the YCL we believe that preferential appointments will not serve our country best if it leaves a certain section in society impoverished and destitute.

We remain strongly convinced however, that Affirmative Action is the right intervention in redressing the historical inequalities as created by the system of Apartheid and Colonialism. We need to be engaged into dialogue on how best we can ensure that we address its consequence on the white youth.

The insinuation by the Afrikaner youth that Affirmative Action is a racial and discriminatory ideology is a fallacy and needs be rejected with contempt. We call on the Afrikaner youth to be part of the progressive youth movement in the fight against poverty, HIV/AIDS, skills development and unemployment amongst the youth of our country.

As the YCL we will welcome an opportunity to have an audience with the AfriForum and the Afrikaner youth in general, in an effort to build a concerted consensus on the challenges facing the youth of our country in general and Africans in particular.

Issued by **Buti Manamela**
 * National Secretary**

For more information contacts:


 * Castro Ngobese**
 * YCL Spokesperson**
 * Tel: 011 339 3621**
 * Mobile: 082 567 3557**
 * E-mail: castro@ycl.org.za**

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