ANC YOUTH LEAGUE STATEMENT ON THE SENTIMENTS OF MKMVA CHAIRPERSON
03 March 2011
The ANC Youth League is disappointed by the conduct of Umkhonto WeSizwe Military Veterans Association Chairperson Kebby Maphatsoe. The Chairperson of MKMVA issued a statement saying that ANC Youth League President has implied that ‘the Gupta family wields undue influence of President Jacob Zuma, which they use to secure government tenders'.
We reckon that Kebby Maphatsoe is making this observation because of the ANC Youth League President's address at the ANC Local Government Elections Manifesto launch rally in Rustenburg, wherein the President said, "When families are exploiting the resources of this country and are enriching themselves in the name of freedom, when those in political office abuse their power to benefit friends, the youth must rise in defence of the ANC".
From the statement released under the banner of the MKMVA and from what Kebby Maphatsoe said in the Press Conference which happened on the 3rd of March 2011, it is evident that, to the MKMVA Chairperson, families that exploit the resources of this country to enrich themselves are the Guptas who must be defended through sensational remarks and sentiments.
ANC Youth League President never mentioned any specific family in his address to the Manifesto launch rally and would have done so if there was a need to mention those who exploit resources of the country to enrich themselves. He was speaking of a broad principle, particularly as it relates to the local government elections.
The principle, which the President mentioned at the rally, is that South Africa's democracy and freedom should never entail that those who are connected to political leadership and their families are the only ones who benefit. This principle is sacrosanct in the ANC, hence the clarion call in all its campaigns of "Better Life for All".
How certain individuals imagine the Guptas whenever an abominable tendency of self-enrichment because of connection to political leadership al local, provincial, and national level is deplored, escapes our imagination. How the MKMVA choose to convene a Press Conference to defend the Guptas also escapes our imagination, because the ANC YL and MKMVA use the same Floor in the ANC Head Office, Chief Albert Luthuli House.
A supposition by the MKMVA that the ANC Youth League is undermining ANC President Jacob Zuma is illusionary, because at all times, the ANC Youth League has always stood firm in defence of the leadership of the ANC. The ANC Youth League will never agree with anything that undermines the sitting President of the ANC, because an attack on the President is an attack on the integrity of the organisation he leads.
These are some of the issues the ANC Youth League will meet with the entire leadership collective of the MKMVA to discuss and clarify. The ANC Youth League is certain that after our engagement with the MKMVA, we will settle on common ground and find each other on the principles that families should not enrich themselves at the expense of society simply because they have political power and that the President of the ANC should never be undermined by anyone.
Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, March 3 2011
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