ANCYL STATEMENT ON ALLEGATIONS THE RATING AGENCIES' POLITICALLY MOTIVATED GRADING.
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has noted without being surprised the alleged resolutions of the rating agencies caucus uttered by Cde Pravin Gordhan. His utterances about rating agencies confirms ANCYL's long held view that the rating agencies are not apolitical and there are people within and outside the African National Congress (ANC) that are lobbying the rating agencies to support their own narrow political agenda.
When delivering his speech at Daily Maverick's The Gathering in Sandton, Cde Pravin allegedly said that if Cde Cyril Ramaphosa is supported there will be no downgrades. Whilst the ANCYL respects Cde Pravin's rights to freedom of expression which includes freedom to impart ideas, it is suspicious that he can be so confident that there will be no downgrades if Cde Ramaphosa is supported. His confidence in uttering those words could only mean that he is well briefed on the rating agencies decisions after the 54th ANC National conference or he is lobbying the rating agencies to take a particular position if Cde Ramaphosa is not elected.
It will be unfortunate that instead of communicating their decisions with Minister of Finance Cde Malusi Gigaba, the rating agencies communicated their decision to Cde Pravin. Unless he acts as a shadow Minister of Finance and that gives rating agencies impression that he is still a finance Minister. ANCYL demands that the rating agencies distance themselves from the utterances of Cde Pravin or else that will be a confirmation that his utterances represent their decision.
African National Congress (ANC) has a guiding constitution that compels the organisation to have national elective conference in every 5yrs to elect it's leadership. It is no one else but ANC members who decides on who must be in the national executive committee of the organisation. ANC branches are currently in the process of finalising their nomination process and people in particular senior ANC leaders should desist from issuing threats that if certain candidate does not emerge as a leader of the ANC, the country will be downgraded. All ANC members must persuade each other using " Through the eye of the needle" not character assassination or using threats of the country being downgraded if their preferred candidate is not elected.
ANCYL calls all ANC members in particular leadership to commit in accepting the outcomes of the 54th ANC National Conference. The decision of the branches must be respected by all within the ranks and files of the ANC and people/institution outside the organization.
Statement issued by Mlondi Mkhize, ANCYL national spokesperson, 26 November 2017
