The ANCYL Membership Must Awaken to its Political Responsibilities and Remove Julius Malema as President of the ANCYL
As we marked the 34th Anniversary of the 1976 June 16 in style by hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup, Julius Malema and his private army of corporals have set up a disciplinary hearing/ kangaroo court to try and expel the Chairperson of ANCYL in Limpopo comrade Lehlohonolo Masoga and his entire Provincial Executive Committee. This is for daring to stand up against the warlodism of Malema and his private army. These comrades are being charged because they have refused to let the ANCYL disintegrate in the hands of those who use the might of the police to steal ANCYL conferences.
This kangaroo court is part of a concerted effort on the part of Malema and his private army to reverse the many gains we have made in building an egalitarian society. They have put at risk the very survival of the ANCYL.
Through his disdain and disrespect for women, Malema has ensured that our organization regresses from the gains it has made in fighting sexism in the country; his racist rantings have engulfed the country with racial tensions thus reversing whatever gains we have made in building a non-racial and united South Africa; his economic populism has compromised the tactics employed by the ANC in its march towards a fair and just economic system in the country; he has trampled upon the organizational and self discipline principles of our organization by showing disrespect and careless attitudes towards the collective leadership of our organization.
Julius is also guilty of attempting to weaken President Zuma, thus attempting to erode the confidence of our people on the president, by patronizing him as the only leader worthy of retaining beyond 2012.
Malema and his private army of corporals have now become representatives of a foreign tendency that has taken a form of reactionary triumphalism, disrespect of ANC protocol, abuse of organizational discipline and the corrupting of our democratic centralism principle for selfish ends. What is now left is a sustained onslaught against this reactionary tendency.
They have also sought to position the ANCYL as an undisciplined and destructive opposition force within the ANC so that they can ride rough shod over the leadership of the ANC. They have tried by all means to impose their will on the ANC leadership by ramming down the ANC's throat a self-serving policy of nationalization of mines for their own selfish ends. The ANCYL is no longer playing its proper revolutionizing role in the ANC. Instead Julius and his private army of corporals have sought to hijack the ANC so that they can become instant millionaires.
The entire movement is now limping because the Juju train has crushed anything that stood on its way to riches via the ANCYL. The membership of the ANCYL now whispers in corners about the damage the Juju train is visiting on the whole movement. The ANCYL is now bleeding because Julius Malema has stuck his dagger in the belly of our organization. His mouth is dripping with blood as he sucks the political life blood out of the ANCYL.
The only realistic way to salvage what remains of the life of the ANCYL is to remove Julius Malema as president of our organization once and for all.
The limping calls for Andile Lungisa to be the next ANCYL president must be strengthened. A principled and resolute campaign for Lungisa must go beyond sanctimonious platitudes to practical work to ensure his ascendency to the presidency for the sake of stability in the ANCYL. Behind this call must be a clear programme to refocus the ANCYL to its political and primary task of mobilizing and organizing the youth behind the five priorities of the ANC.
This programme must have as its focus the revival of the ANCYL as a true preparatory school for young political mandarins who will have a significant future role in the ANC. It must also ensure that the ANCYL reclaims its character of guided political militancy and position it as a revolutionizing force in the ANC. It must seek to build the ANCYL as the credible embodiment of the hopes of the youth of our country.
As the youth month draws to a close, we as the membership of the ANCYL must awaken to our responsibilities and honour the generation of 1976 by standing resolutely for principle. We have it in us to chart a brighter future that ensures a South Africa whose standards are not compromised by those among us who shun education for easy millions.
Before it is too late, we must all raise our hands and be counted in removing Julius Malema and his private army of corporals.
Mzukisi Makatse is a Centurion Central ANCYL Member writing in his personal capacity
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
