YCLSA Year 2015 Year-End statement
“Positioning the YCLSA for struggles ahead and intensifying the ‘New Deal’ for the black working class youth”
The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] would first like to take this opportunity to wish all South African’s a happy and prosperous new year. We hope everyone will celebrate responsible during the festive season and as South African’s we usher in 2016 safely.
The year 2015 represents a tough yet eye opening year for the 4th National Congress National Committee of the YCLSA as we had just came from our National Congress held at the University of the Western Cape in December 2014. The new leadership of the YCLSA had the daunting task of implementing our theme of ‘intensifying youth mobilization for socialism’.
We however saw it fit to also include the rallying call of ‘building soldier for socialism’ as part of our programmee of action for 2015. This was based on the need of mobilizing many young people as possible under the banner of socialism. We are unwaveringly continuing with our task of being a preparatory school for the South African Communist Party.
As the YCLSA we continue to steadfastly hold the view that only socialism can obliterate the barrage of problems that are faced by the working class and the poor. For us only socialism can end world hunger and put an end to all these unending wars perpetuated by capitalist and imperialist countries like the US.
The constant failure of the exploitative capitalist system across the globe further proves that the world needs socialism more than ever to bring betterment to the lives of all mankind. Young people are the most affected as they constitute a large number of those who are exploited by labour brokers, unemployed and denied access to higher education and training.
The triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequalities continue to torment our people on a daily basis while a few elites are enjoying a life of opulence. The status quo cannot remain the gap between the have and the have-not has to be breached. We envisage a South Africa where a person will never go to bed hungry, lack access to healthcare nor lack access to proper shelter.
The 2015 #FeesMustFall campaign is proof that our youth is not apolitical nor does it intend to sit back and not fight for the greater good. The campaign proved that when pushed into a corner they will fight back and demand what is due to them. The YCLSA has been at the forefront of waging war against academic and financial exclusion of students by universities. We shall continue to take the fight to those who are hell-bent on turning our universities into ivory towers.
As part of our political and strategic tasks we continue to propose a ‘New Deal’ for the black working class youth. As the YCLSA we see a compelling case to focus on the aspirations and desires of the working class youth as a strategic choice of the YCLSA. Most of those who are part of the not-in-employment-education-or-training [NEET] youth are young people from working class families and communities.
The YCLSA feels that youth empowerment programmes must be targeted to address the needs of youth from working class communities. YCLSA branches must be at the forefront of mobilizing young people to have access to opportunities, to participate in community development and participation in progressive political education programmes.
The ‘New Deal’ should focus on the following:
- Job creation for the youth
- Connecting young people to employment opportunities
- Opening training and second chance opportunities for young people that have not completed secondary education.
- Scale up the National Youth Service to draw large numbers of young people into community service.
- Creation of work exposure measures for those young people that do not have degrees and diplomas.
- Improve working conditions and pay for youth across the economy in the service sector.
As the YCLSA we are going to approach 2016 very aggressively as we make our contribution to the intensification of a radical transformation or the second phase of transition. We say 2016 is the year to roll back the gains and advances of the capitalist class.
For us 2016 represents a clean slate to close ranks and to build cohesion in both the tripartite alliance and the PYA. For the ANC to decisively win the 2016 Local Government elections is very imperative that we unite and forge forward towards an overwhelming victory and build a better life for all.
Statement issued by Khaya Xaba, YCLSA National Spokesperson, 31 December 2015
