SPEAKING NOTES OF DEPUTY PRESIDENT, KGALEMA MOTLANTHE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE ANNUAL LEKGOTLA, CENTURION, February 10 2012

Comrade President and Leadership of the ANCYL;

Comrades

Thank you for inviting me to address this Lekgotla of the ANC Youth League.

Before I delve into some of the organisational issues that I am expected to reflect on, allow me to remark about the backdrop against which this Lekgotla is taking place.

Firstly, this is the year of the Centenary of the ANC and I am certain you would agree that this is an important achievement in the life of any organisation and a momentous occasion for all South Africans.

Secondly, we will be holding our Policy Conference in just under 6 months.

Discussion documents of that conference are about to be released and the Youth League is expected to engage with these discussions papers vigorously.

Thirdly, this is a year of the National Elective Conference that will be seized with finalising our strategic objectives as well as Programme of Action for the next 5 years.

Fourthly, it is 8 months since the ANC Youth League held its Elective Conference where the current leadership was elected.

Finally, as you are all aware, we are meeting in the midst of a global economic crisis, as well as social unrests in various parts of the world.

Therefore, in our reflections at this Lekgotla, we cannot conduct our business without critically taking some of these realities into account.

As this is your first Lekgotla 8 months since your national elective conference, of necessity you have to translate your conference resolutions into a Programme of Action.

It would perhaps be appropriate to start our discussion by reflecting on the question of the relationship between the ANCYL and its mother body, the ANC.

The basis of this relationship is Rule 7.4 of the ANC Constitution, which set out the objective of the Youth League as follows:

"... to unite and lead young men and women in confronting and dealing with the problems that face the youth, and in ensuring that the youth make a full and rich contribution to the work of the ANC and the life of the nation. The Youth League will function as an autonomous body within the overall structure of the ANC, of which it will be an integral part, with its own Constitution, rules and regulations, provided that these shall not be in conflict with the Constitution and policies of the ANC".

Understanding this proviso that the Youth League remains autonomous in its operations but not independent from the ANC, provides the backdrop for how we may be able to comprehend fully the role of the Youth League within the ANC today.

From this perspective, the ANCYL was therefore established, in the first place, with the intention for it to remain an organ of the ANC subject at all times to its constitution and policies.

This however does not imply that the ANCYL cannot take independent and autonomous decisions.

It simply means that once the ANC Youth League has decided to adopt a position on a matter it will ensure that such position is consistent with the policies and constitution of the ANC.

Where league policies are found to be in conflict with those of the ANC, the Youth League may submit these to the scrutiny of the policy structures of the ANC so that they may be debated and adopted as ANC policy.

As we know from history, since its inception in 1944, the Youth League has at various points in history contributed very significantly to the renewal and growth of the ANC.

In 1948 the ANC Youth League sponsored a Programme of Action which introduced new forms of struggle such as civil disobedience, strikes and protests.

The 1976 uprisings also signalled another significant contribution by the youth to the national liberation struggle.

The 1980s also saw the youth playing an active role in the rolling mass action across our country.

In the final analysis, the youth seeks to venture into the unknown strategically and tactfully, aware that the old generations may, at times, be blinded by the familiarity and complacency of experience.

Guided by these principles, the Youth League must always channel its radical approaches in a manner that avoids deviance from the ANC policy.

Thus it is important that as you deliberate on your Programme of Action, you should pay sufficient attention towards ensuring that the policy positions adopted by the league at the last conference are in line with those of the ANC or to see to it that they are debated and adopted by the ANC.

This requirement is similar to the principle of constitutional review in a constitutional democracy, which means that the test compliance to the constitution. Comrades, As you are aware this year is both a momentous and weighty year for the African National congress (ANC) in that we are not only celebrating our 100 th anniversary but also because we will be holding a policy conference as well as the 53rd National Conference to craft and adopt policy.

These events call on us to pause and reflect on the achievements we have made in the last 100 years, in advancing our national struggle to build our democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, just and prosperous South Africa.

It is an opportunity to use this rich history in a rounded and balanced fashion by identifying and connecting various historical turning points that provide lessons to assist us in mapping the future.

Remaining true to the ANC's culture of rigorous debate, this exercise must not be carried out in a perfunctory manner if we are to emerge from this process renewed and ever-ready to take the struggle forward.

This constant act of reflection remains the backbone that holds the organisation up to its vision and mission.

Only through open, frank and rigorous criticism, and self-criticism, is the organisation strengthened and energised.

Used in this way our history will be seen as more than a mechanical recording of the past, thus grounding us in the principles of inclusivity, solidarity and unity in advancing our national democratic struggle.

In this regard, the Youth League has a critical task to play in using the centenary to carve out its role in assisting the ANC to renew itself.

As a political home for the youth in the ANC, the league must trace its own history to assess whether it remains on the same course that was set by its founding fathers.

As a useful starting point, you may seek to assess whether your symbols and motto are still relevant in this age.

Those of you who are well versed with the history of the ANC will recall that after 1990 the spokes in the wheel of its logo were increased to reflect the broader unity within the liberation movement.

In the same vein it may be appropriate to review the youth leagues' slogans of "Fight Produce Learn".

Given that we have entered our 18 years of democracy; we must ask whether it is still sufficient for the youth to see its primary task as fighting, producing and learning.

It is my humble submission that perhaps the time has come for the youth to see its task as learning, producing and defending the gains of their struggle.

At all critical historical points, the league has benefitted from conscious and constant questioning of the orthodox, enabling it to respond strategically to the challenges of the time.

Guided by these principles, the Youth League has channelled its radical approaches in a manner that avoids false consciousness born out of the limitations of generalisations and sloganeering.

As I am sure you will agree, the pulsating life of any organisation is dependent on its ability to remain grounded in its principles.

Such grounding is, in turn, dependent upon continuous political education.

It is only through such political education that members of the Youth League can safeguard the values, culture, traditions that have enabled it to be a trusted leader of youth formations in our country.

Thus it is important that as you deliberate on your Programme of Action, you pay sufficient attention towards political education and the role that the ANC Youth League has to play in advancing the National Democratic Revolution.

Remember, that political consciousness is acquired and, of course one has to attend classes in order to gain class consciousness.

Comrades,

It is also important that you identify key strategic tasks for the ANC Youth League today, so that your leadership of the youth movement is focused and effective.

As part of the social strata constituting the motive forces, the youth represent the future, meaning they have to keep pushing the frontiers of change while at the same time remaining open to new ideas.

This dynamism of the Youth League will allow the ANC to remain on its toes as it moves to accelerate socio-economic transformation.

However the stratification of the youth along class, gender and race, amongst others, also represents a challenge to the organisation in many different ways.

It is important therefore, that the ANC Youth League should capture this space by mobilising the youth behind the ANC and thus the National Democratic Revolution (NDR).

It must therefore seek to fashion itself as a non-racial, non-sexiest and multi-class organisation that gives leadership to the youth movement as a whole; without necessarily taking over other organisations.

The ANC Youth League should aim to be the resonance of feeling of all young people across classes and strata in South Africa. This includes those in and outside of employment as well as those in and outside of institutions of learning.

A key condition of this requires that the youth militate for greater access to education, training and entrepreneurship as the only sustainable way to break the backbone of poverty.

The Youth League will also need to pay closer attention to dealing with inclinations of exclusivity, individualism, greed and other social delinquencies that divide the organisation and threaten social-cohesion in society in general.

Cognisant of South Africa's positioning in a globalised world, the youth must question and seek solutions to the socio-economic challenges facing society today.

Moses Kotane taught us to do proper analyses situations, which will enable us to sum-up (reach an informed conclusion) and proceed to propose possible solution.

This is a profound lesson today as we try to make sense of the developments social upheavals in Europe, USA, Northern Africa and in the Middle East.

Capitalist crisis threatens world peace because it may, in the absence of safely valves and alternatives, result in fascism. As leaders in these difficult times you must rise to the occasion by remaining united and working together to ensure that the youth remains central in shaping their future.

The Youth League must through its participation make sure that it brings deeper meaning to the understanding that the future cannot be planned without the voice of young people.

Comrades,

Having discussed the various challenges and weighty issues that this Lekgotla must address, let me conclude by returning to one of the most important tasks that society expects you to champion as the vanguard of youth interests; I am referring here to the issue of learning.

Vladimir Lenin argued at the 3rd All Russia Congress of the Young Communist League in 1920 that: "... the task of the youth in general, and that of the Young Communist Leagues and all other [progressive] organisations in particular might be summed up in a single word: learn!"

Echoing this sentiment, the first national committee tasked with setting up branches of the ANC Youth League after its unbanning said that:

"The youth can only effectively participate in the liberation of our country and get involved in the building of a democratic South Africa on the basis of totality of knowledge and experience handed over to it by old generations. At the same time young people should not be encouraged merely to copy and assimilate what is handed over to them. They should do so through an investigative and critical approach.

Real education in the struggle on the part of the youth cannot be separated from their independent political involvement. A profound appreciation by the youth of the democratic ideals we are fighting for is better consolidated if verified by their independent experience in the struggle.

Autonomy of the league offers the opportunity for the realisation of the boundless resources, energy, enterprise, initiative and the free application of the creative potential of youth."

To you comrades this alone may be said; learn, learn and learn. Trusting that this collective is equal to these tasks; I wish you fruitful deliberations, confident that you will emerge from this strategic engagement vibrant and well-equipped to face up to the challenges of our times.

I thank you.

Issued by The Presidency, February 10 2012

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