ANCYL CONGRATULATES CDE ANDILE LUNGISA ON HIS ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF PAN AFRICAN YOUTH UNION
The ANCYL congratulates Cde Andile Lungisa on his election as the President of the Pan African Youth Union. Cde Andile Lungisa was elected unopposed in the Pan African Youth Union's (PYU) 3rd elective congress in Khartoum, Sudan from the 2nd to the 6th of December 2011.
Cde Lungisa has served as the Deputy President of the ANCYL, Chairperson of the NYDA and currently serving NEC member of the ANCYL. It is indeed an honour for the ANCYL to have been elected into the position of President of the PYU as the progressive voice of youth in the African continent. This goes towards the consolidation of the youth voice in Africa on issues that continue to plague and undermine the full development of the young people of Africa.
The PYU is a continental body recognized by the African Union (AU), Heads of Governments and States to coordinate youth development in the African continent, serving as a voice of young people and a youth focal point of the AU on youth development.
The PYU Congress was held under the theme, "Youth Action for Economic Freedom Now", which resonates with the call made by the 24th National Congress of the ANCYL for Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime.
This demonstrates that the call made by the youth of South Africa is indeed an urgent demand by the youth of Africa, requiring urgent interventions on the exploitation of mineral resources of African countries and the continued underdevelopment of Africa's people especially her youth through the unresolved land issue and expressed the support for the expropriation of land without compensation.
The PYU Congress further called on governments in the African continent, particularly countries that are rich in mineral resources, to develop beneficiation strategies to ensure that resources like diamond and gold are processed in the continent and exported as processed goods in order to assist in dealing with high levels of unemployment, particularly among young people.
The PYU Congress affirmed the status of young people in the African continent, including the role of governments in ensuring the unity and meaningful transformation of the continent and further raised concerns abouth the continuous poor state of the African continent, ongoing poverty and unemployment, despite Africa being the richest continent with natural and human resources.
This demonstrates the overwhelming affirmation of the youth of Africa to reject any further Imperialist tendencies and to elevate the full emancipation of the people of Africa in particular her future, the youth.
The PYU Congress also expressed concern on on-going conflicts that afflict most countries in the African continent, calling on all young people to take part in achieving unity, economic emancipation, democracy and development in Africa and the world.
One of the major tasks that will confront the new leadership of the PYU is ensuring that the AU, governments and Heads of States in the continent go beyond making commitments on youth development, to effectively ensuring that meaningful change is effected in the lives of young people.
The ANCYL welcomes and commits to the youth of the continent that as we forge ahead towards Economic Freedom in our Lifetime, Victory is Certain. The mandate that has been given to the South Africa, in particular the ANCYL is a demonstration of the respect for the resolute and decisive leadership in South African youth to lead the youth of Africa.
Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, December 8 2011
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