ANC YOUTH LEAGUE WELCOMES NUMSA'S SUPPORT FOR THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM YOUTH MASS ACTION:

19 October 2011

The ANC Youth League welcomes and appreciates the support the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) declared for the ANC Youth League Economic Freedom Youth Mass Action. We are inspired and further agitated that this gallant Union of metalworkers, known for consistency on principle and uncompromising militancy has publicly supported the mass action for economic freedom in our lifetime.

What is more relieving and inspirational from NUMSA's support is that the Union gives political and ideological reasons on why the mass action should be supported. Consistent with its commitment to the Freedom Charter and National Democratic Revolution, NUMSA did not degenerate into petty politics of labels, casting of aspersions, and spreading conspiracies about the programme which the entire National liberation movement should pursue.

The ANC Youth League welcomes this resounding support and will mobilise more organisations, formations and individuals to support the struggle for economic freedom in our lifetime. Petty jealousies, bickering, howling, spreading of lies, labels and all sorts of things done in the National Liberation Movement do not help the cause for total emancipation of the black majority and Africans in particular, because as NUMSA correctly quotes the ANC 1969 Strategy & Tactics, "it is inconceivable for liberation to have meaning without a return of the wealth of the land to the people as a whole. It is therefore a fundamental feature of our strategy that victory must embrace more than formal political democracy". All progressive forces of change must unite and confront capital. It is now or never. Victory is certain.

Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, October 19 2011

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