The youth must be decisively represented in the Magokgoane Communal Property Association - CYPoM
Mafikeng - The Concerned Young People of Magokgoane (CYPoM) is a non-profit organisation which shall act as an advocate for change within the jurisdiction of the Magokgoane community, currently located in Ramatlabama, Mafikeng. The aims and objectives of this organisation are to champion a progressive developmental agenda on behalf of the Magokgoane youth, and to pioneer the implementation of such an agenda across all administrative functions preformed within or on behalf of the community.
The CYPoM notes the events that took place at a general meeting in ‘Old Magokgoane' (Koster) on the 27th February 2010 as part of the land restitution process, where the community was to elect the Communal Property Association in terms of the Communal Property Association Act of 1996. We welcome the ultimate decision to abandon the election process, but we remain concerned that such a decision was primarily influenced by an Act of God (lack of sufficient lighting) and not a genuine will on the part of those conducting the meeting to secure a free and fair electoral process. We wish to expand on some of these undesirable tendencies, with the hope that they will not be repeated when the community reconvenes the general meeting on a later date (presumably 27th March 2010).
The conduct of the Regional Land Claims Commissioners (Gauteng and North West)
It is our firm belief that (i) the general meeting is the highest decision making body on all community matters relating to land restitution; (ii) that community members do not only have the right to attend and vote, but also the right to speak, and (iii) that any decision taken at a general meeting must be decided by voting.
We find it unfortunate that the chairperson of the meeting saw it fit to bulldoze all the principles identified above, thus positioning himself as some sort of a dictator in matters that directly affect the community. Such conduct is not only undemocratic but also unconstitutional. We remain resolute that neither the concerns of time nor elements of disruptive behavior are sufficient to negate the rights of members to speak, and to take decisions on any matters brought to the floor.
The conduct of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
The IEC has a legislative responsibility to conduct itself in a manner that does not compromise its credibility. We remain convinced that the approach adopted by the IEC during the electoral process was procedurally flawed, and that it violated any notion of a free and fair election.
Firstly, it goes without saying that the nomination process cannot commence before the outgoing CPA had been dissolved by the meeting, and we find it unfortunate that the opposite actually prevailed. Secondly, it is not a mandate of the IEC to respond directly to any motion raised by members of the community during the meeting. Theirs is to advise, remain neutral and monitor the election process. We call on the IEC to revise and refine its approach and improve on its procedures, lest rumor gains ground that maybe the IEC commissioners were in cohorts with certain cabals who had ambitions to sit on the CPA.
The agenda of Youth representation in the CPA
Our point of departure on this subject is that "there can be no decision about the future of the youth without the youth being decisively involved". The central mandate of a CPA is to spearhead a developmental programme for the allocated land on behalf of the community, which includes designing short and long term strategies for sustainable economic and social development. We reject the notion that youth representation in this structure must be subject to individual lobbying, and contend that it must be a conscious and deliberate social construct.
We also contend that it is in the interest of the community for the youth to be decisively involved in the conceptualisation and implementation of such developmental strategies, since the outcomes would affect their livelihood in the future. In this regard, we rely on the definition of public interest, as "the aggregation of individual interests of the persons affected by a policy or action under consideration.
In Setswana we say: "Letlhaku le le nnye le agelelwa mo godimo ga le le gologolo". This is a shared traditional value of the Batswana, which advocates for the elderly to groom the young for future responsibilities and leadership duties. In this regard, we rely on the definition of public interest as "a desirable value thought to be shared by the community at large."
Over and above that, we believe that there are many young people within the community of Magokgoane who possess the necessary business acumen and investment expertise and thus could be able to contribute productively in the operations of the CPA.
Conclusion
With the above in mind, we propose that the youth should be ‘preferred' for the positions of deputy chairperson, deputy secretary and among additional members as per the constitution of the CPA. We call upon all the young people of Magokgoane in the areas of Rustenburg and Johannesburg to also support and adopt this motion during the forthcoming gathering, and to reject any attempt by any clandestine cabal to decide our future in dark corners.
On their part, the youth must also abandon the ‘picnic mentality' which dominated the previous gathering. Let's have a picnic and party after we have successfully executed our duties and responsibilities as young people. We also call on the mainstream media to attend the intended general meeting and to perform their duties as watchdogs and rights defenders for the grassroots communities.
The statement is issued by Setumo Stone in his capacity as the spokesperson for CYPoM.
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