Hypocrisy and deep seated lies on the factional Youth Desk of the ANC

21 September 2016

On its (ANCYL) statement dated 20 September 2016, the ANCYL had this to say: The ANC Youth League firstly rejects the entire argument that a fee increment to the margin of 8% must be contemplated. As we said in our Open Letter to the Minister last week we strongly condemn deployees of the ANC from acting contrary to the decision of the NEC of the ANC this is not acceptable. We therefore re-retaliate our position on moratorium on all University fees pending the outcomes of the Presidential Commission on Free Education.

Now that one is propelled to expose secrete meetings so to undress the truth around the whole saga on free education and fee increment let me do so. On the meeting we held on the side-lines of the ANC National Executive Committee meeting as the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) which is composed of SASCO, ANCYL, COSAS and YCLSA on the 14 of August 2016.

We met with President Zuma, Dr. Blade Nzimande, Jersy Duade, Naledi Pandor and Pravin Gordan wherein we were discussing the proposal by the Council for Higher Education (CHE) on the fee increment for year 2016.

On his opening remarks the president of the ANC and the country (J. Zuma) emphasised the point that we can't subsidies people who affords to pay for their children otherwise we will collapse the system.

He went further to remind us of the ANC resolution on Free Higher Education for the poor. The president therefore appealed to all of us to handle the issues with care as he was supposed to go back to the ANC NEC meeting as it was about to conclude its business.

He left the meeting not because of disrespect but because he had to listen on the last discussion so that when he closes the meeting he captures the essence of discussion by the NEC. We all respected that and further understood the importance of him going back to the NEC meeting. This is the very same meeting where the YCLSA also warned the meeting against the fictionalisation as well as the personalization of challenges facing Higher Education and Training.

The YCLSA raised such on the basis that at some point some people decided to pull a publicity stance insinuating that they will be marching to Blade Nzimande's house.

It is therefore a hypocrisy of the worst order what the ANCYL is doing. In fact they are taking a posture of being a political Jezabel.

People who are actually against the ANC is the very same Youth Desk of ANC factions called ANCYL. The President of the ANC and the country differed with moratorium and ANCYL accepted and went further to call for united approach of PYA against moratorium whilst ensuring that children of the working class should not suffer the consequences of any fee increase. The very same ANCYL decides to openly mislead the country about ANC decision on the fee increment.

The ANCYL again says on its statement, "The NEC resolved that the principle of no-fee increase in universities should remain in place to give chance to a consultative engagement with all stakeholders in order to arrive at an economically viable and affordable cost of higher education".

Such therefore show green lies at play as Blade Nzimande indicated that that his announcement was on the basis of the consultative process, which is what exactly the quote about instructed. This hence concludes that the factional desk is on a mission and its will stop at nothing till their mission is fulfilled.

For now Nzimande has not defied the NEC of the ANC that he is part of. Again on our recent Education Alliance meeting on Friday the 16th of the current month wherein the ANCYL was represented by its NEC member (Sfiso Tso) we all agreed on the proposed fee increment by CHE and the fact that children of the working class will not suffer as per the submission by ANC president and ANCYL Secretary General.

We were all gratified particularly that the missing-middle students were also catered for. This by the way was part of the consultation process referred to by the ANC NEC. To correctly capture the NEC resolution on fee increment resolution 12 says, “The NEC resolved that the principle of no-fee increase in universities should remain in place to give chance to a consultative engagement with all stakeholders in order to arrive at an economically viable and affordable cost of higher education”.

Maybe Cde Angie Motsekga (Minister of Basic Education) can intervene in getting an educator on her deployment to explain this to the ANCYL. Coming back to the quest for Free Quality and Compulsory Higher Education for the poor as a standing resolution of the Young Communist League of South Africa one reaffirm such resolution as the progressive one. But meantime the ANYLC should help working class children who are still indebted to education system rather than spending money equivalent to the tuition on one night in their expensive night clubs and CUBANA assemble.

The 4PIPES CARs they are driving with them being sold they can contribute immensely on the quest for Free Quality and Compulsory Higher Education for the poor. The extravagance and opulent lifestyle its leaders are living can actual fund almost 50% of needy students.

The Young Communist League of South Africa called young people in this country to Make Education Fashionable and we are hoping that ANCYL leaders will soon join this call and propel their leaders who left schooling half way to get back the spear and soldier on. Their activism in pre-tertiary level is highly needed particularly its presidency.

Yes Free Quality and Compulsory Higher Education is possible in this country if only there can be a political will to the ANC. It can't be that we are expected as the working class to fund education for the rich. This will therefore mean that we are paying tuition fee for children of Nzimande, Zuma, Ramaphosa, and entire cabinets and CEOs and captains of industries. Government must come out with serious intervention to release this burden from the working.

Really a person who was paying R100 000 for his child in higher school is now expecting to be exempted from paying tuition fee that is far lesser than that. Kahle kahle senzabani isilima! ANCYL leadership must urgently stop smoking whatever it is that they are smoking because it is dangerous not only to their mental health but to the entire country. The ANC recent statement on the fee increment said the following, “The African National Congress notes and supports the announcement made by the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Comrade Blade Nzimande, that all students from poor, working class and middle class families - with a household income of less than R600 000 per annum - will not experience any increase in universities fees in the 2017 academic year and that government would pay for the fee adjustment”.

This means that the ANCYL is out of order and the ANC needs to take serious steps against its Youth Desk. The ANC goes further to say that, “The African National Congress calls upon all stakeholders to support recommendations tabled by the Minister. We urge students and university management to desist from engaging in any negative and unlawful activities within our institutions during this period” .

Such stakeholders includes ANCYL and its members on campuses. ANC resolution must be implemented and whoever doing total opposite must be dealt with including those who are distorting its resolutions.

Isaac Luthuli is Deputy National Secretary of the Young Communist League of South Africa.