ANC YOUTH LEAGUE AND CONTRALESA JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT AFTER A BI-LATERAL MEETING:

20 October 2011

The National Working Committees of African National Congress Youth League and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (CONTRALESA) led respectively by President Julius Malema and Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa held a bi-lateral meeting to discuss and establish consensus on issues of common interest in South Africa. Both formations of the Congress Movement appreciated each other's historical, present and future roles and significance in shaping and building a better South Africa. Whilst the ANC YL appreciated the role played by traditional leaders in the formation, growth and durability of the ANC, CONTRALESA appreciated and applauded the role by the current leadership of the ANC YL in political and ideological development of the ANC through new ideas, militancy and radicalism.

Both organisations acknowledged the very important role they should play currently and in the future to build the ANC as a consistent National Liberation Movement with unquestionable capacity and willingness to politically, socially and economically liberate the oppressed and exploited people of South Africa. CONTRALESA expressed shock and disapproval over the information given that since the 24^th National Congress of the ANC Youth League, the ANC National Leadership has not yet collectively met with the leadership of the ANC Youth League. The ANC Youth League also expressed shock and disapproval over the fact that CONTRALESA has not been provided with the necessary platform by the ANC to consistently raise issues confronting traditional leaders in South Africa.

CONTRALESA expressed its unreserved support for the ANC Youth League struggles for economic freedom in our lifetime, and particularly emphasised on the long overdue need to retain South Africa's land and all natural resources to the rightful owners. In this regard, CONTRALESA will engage with all its structures across the length and breadth of South Africa to join the ANC Youth League's Economic Freedom Youth Mass Action happening on the 27^th and 28^th of October 2011, and emphasised that the mass action should be a disciplined and non-violent mass action. CONTRALESA supports the Economic Freedom Youth Mass Action because the issues raised by the ANC Youth League, such as provision of free quality education, jobs, houses, land, nationalisation of mines, water and electricity will in turn benefit the communities and people under the leadership of CONTRALESA. CONTRALESA fully supports State ownership of mines and all other natural resources. This includes retention of all land to the ownership and control of the State.

The ANC Youth League expressed unreserved support for transformational issues raised by CONTRALESA, in particular the behind schedule formal and funded institutionalisation of Houses of Traditional Leaders as called for in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and established by the relevant pieces of legislation at national and provincial level. The Houses of Traditional Leaders should be provided with the necessary capacity and resources to effectively and consistently function because a substantial majority of South Africa's population is under Traditional Leaders. And as a matter of consistent principle and practice, the ANC should recurrently interact with CONTRALESA and develop concrete programmes on the issues and challenges confronting traditional leadership.

Whilst appreciating the establishment of the Traditional Affairs department at government level, both ANC YL and CONTRALESA hold a view that this section of the department should be adequately resourced in order to provide consistent and reliable support to Traditional leaders and systems of traditional leadership in South Africa. Traditional leadership is an elementary part of South Africa and ignoring its existence undermines the true character and nature, not only of the ANC, but of South African society as a whole.

The ANC Youth League and CONTRALESA agreed on the preservation of the culture, heritage and belonging of indigenous Khoi and San people of South Africa and their descendants. These are people whose culture, heritage and language were brutally obliterated by the first contingent of Settlers and Colonisers. The South Africanness of the Khoi and San people should never be on the margins particularly that they are the first defenders of South Africa's land, natural resources and livestock from greedy and blood thirsty Settlers and Colonisers in the wars of resistance. CONTRALESA and ANC Youth League will respectively work to re-assert and reclaim the Africanness of the Khoi and San people and their descendants, most of whom are referred to as Coloureds.

CONTRALESA and the ANC Youth League will towards the Policy Conference of the ANC work together to develop common policy perspectives on important socio-economic issues, particularly on rural development, the food economy and common ownership of South Africa's natural resources. The perspectives will at all times re-assert the centrality of the Freedom Charter as the beacon of hope for the people of South Africa and the guiding strategic vision for the entire National Liberation Movement. The ANC YL appreciates the guidance and counsel of Traditional leaders and will at all times seek the necessary nurturing from the elders.

Statement issued by Floyd Shivambu, ANC YL Spokesperson, and Zolani Mkiva, CONTRALESA Spokesperson, October 20 2011

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