ANC Youth League Mpumalanga Provincial Executive Committee Statement issued on Monday the 16th of August 2010
The Mpumalanga ANCYL Provincial Executive Committee meeting took place on the 15th of August 2010 at KaMkholo building, Nelspruit to process an action plan on Provincial Conference resolutions. The meeting took place on a backdrop of a report by the International Labour organization that was released on Thursday the 12th of August 2010 that reflected that youth unemployment has reached its highest level ever and it's expected to increase and the impact is high in developing countries. South Africa being a developing country falls into this category of a very worrisome trend for young people.
Youth Development
We call upon the public and private sector to implement the 30% youth empowerment policy as stipulated by the National Youth Development Policy. Young People must constitute 30% of all procurement in government and the Private Sector. They must also constitute 30% of the workforce in the private and public sector. This will curb the number of young people sitting in street corners doing nothing. They are a strategic sector that needs a deliberate programme to address their economic problems and this also requires that all Municipalities must follow suit and not compromise the interest of young people because of their own personal interests. This is an urgent matter on which we will even engage all structures of the ANC because if it is not resolved timeously, we will have a third level revolution where no one will walk on the street carrying a loaf bread. The poverty alleviation programmes must move beyond poverty alleviation and address economic inequalities. This challenge will further be resolved if young people hold decision making positions hence we call that in the next local government elections 40% councilors must be young people.
Organizational matters
The PEC resolved that the Gert Sibande Regional conference must take place on Saturday the 21st of August 2010. It is a conference that must extend the highest level of extreme discipline that we have observed in all our other conferences in Bohlabela, Nkangala and Ehlanzeni. We call on the delegates of the conference to engage robustly on organizational and political issues. We further resolved to embark on massive political education in all our structures and that the political education committee must draft a programme for us to roll out as a matter of urgency. In line with women empowerment we will start a women assemble that will focus on issues affecting young ladies in the province.
Nationalization
We call upon all our members to answer the call of the Provincial Conference to swell the ranks of the ANC and be delegates to the National General Council of the ANC to influence the Nationalization debate within the party. They must also do so in various regional Councils and the provincial general council that will precede the national general council. The nationalization debate should be fought and warn in the branches of the ANC. We also call on other strategic sectors of the South African economy to make their progressive input on this debate.
HIV and AIDS
We call upon the youth of Mpumalanga to endorse our one boyfriend one girlfriend campaign as this will help to curb the HIV and AIDS pandemic in our province. We also encourage them to do HIV and AIDS tests regularly to protect themselves and their loved ones. We must also support those who are infected and affected by the disease and encourage them to use treatment and this must be available to people who are in need of it
Education
We call upon the Department of Education to arrest the recurring syndrome of matric scandals in our province. We further call upon our communities to ensure that there are no street bashes and parties in a month preceding examinations and during examinations. It is important that communities take this drastic measure as we are one of the most underperforming provinces in education. We call upon learners to give 100% commitment to their studies so that we can at least achieve a 80% matric pass rate.
Arrest of Mzilikazi wa Afrika
The youth league in Mpumalanga welcomes the arrest of Sunday Times journalist, Mzilikazi waAfrika and his two accomplices with great relief. It is a move in the right direction to uproot the cancer of brown envelope journalism that is compromising the integrity of hard working journalists who follow proper ethics of the journalism profession. We call upon the prosecution authority to charge him with high treason as his actions are a threat to national security. He has undermined security in the Presidency and the Mpumalanga Premier's office which is a direct attack to the state and its people and a serious breach of national security. WaAfrika and his co-accused are a threat to themselves and the whole nation. There is no huge difference between the offence allegedly committed by WaAfrika and that of the Boeremag, the only difference is that the latter wanted to overthrow the state by violent means while WaAfrika wanted to do so through peddling lies. You must also remember that it is only waAfrika and James Nkambule that have seen the character called Josh and this puzzles as police can't find this character to date. We call upon all our members who will not be sitting for examination to attend the next appearance of Mzilikazi wa Africa. These cases further strengthen our case for a media tribunal.
Support for public servants demands
We support the demands by public servants for a leaving wage for public servants. Our support is based on the fact that the low salaries our parents are earning as public servants affect our education and economic position. We start from a negative side in life because of the poverty of our parents. We however condemn the public attack by the Secretary General of COSATU cde Zwelinzima Vavi to the President of the Country Cde Jackop Zuma on his salary. We remind him of the alliance resolution that we must refrain from macro phone and media conference alliance relations. We are doing so because it is already in the public domain.
Sports
We call upon the youth to take interest in the leadership of sports structures in this Province. We need the injection of energy and fresh blood in sports administration for us to make a significant impact in sports in the country. We will also engage Mpumalanga Black Aces for them to empower the community of eMalahleni and the whole of Mpumalanga by bringing back their youth development from links field in Joburg in a lily white Suburb to eMalahleni. Their head office should also be in Mpumalanga. Their management and strategic areas must also be reflective of the demographics of this country. They cannot have a white Chairman, White CEO and a white Coach. A black person is always appointed a PRO and this tendency is uncalled for as this is just a ploy to attract black supporters to the stadium. Our people can't be taken for a ride and we want to see black people also occupying strategic and top positions within the club. Their recent conduct to hold a press conference in Johannesburg to announce their plans and players for the new season seriously undermined our province and their supporters and we appeal to them to stop with this practice.
Julius Malema
We hereby declare to the world to know that Cde Julius Malema must finish the political programme to economically emancipate the youth from poverty and the Nationalization of mines. His disciplined militancy and radicalism is still relevant beyond 2011 and we therefore support his re-election for the second term as the National president of the youth League without any conditions.
DD Mabuza
We further declare to the world to know that DD Mabuza must finish the political programme of making Mpumalanga a better Province. We believe that at this current conjuncture, he remains relevant to take us to the Promised Land and the persecution that he is being subject to by the media is unwarranted and unjustified as it is based on unsubstantiated facts which have never been proven. We therefore say hands off Cde Mabuza. He will lead another second term in the ANC and whoever has ambitions of becoming the Premier has unfortunately raised them prematurely. We will start the succession debate in 2018 and for now it is closed and a no go area.
Statement issued by the provincial spokesperson Ronald Ozzy Lamola on behalf of the ANCYL in Mpumalanga, August 16 2010
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