THE ANC DISMISSES WITH CONTEMPT THE PREDICTIONS OF MOELETSI MBEKI:
In a manner similar to those 20th century Prophets of Doom who predicted that the world will come to an end in the year 2000, Moeletsi Mbeki has written an article predicting that Tunisia-like protests will happen in South Africa in 2020 to topple the ANC government. The ANC Youth League dismisses this prophecy of doom with the contempt it deserves because it is not only untrue, but one of the most bizarre predictions to ever happen.
This prophecy of doom is also a worrying trend by Moeletsi Mbeki who is very pessimistic and consistently negative about the progress made by the African National Congress government, particularly since the departure of his brother as President of South Africa. Moeletsi Mbeki consistently writes sensational and alarmist observations about the democratic government of the ANC, and like all prophets of doom, he will be the one who will be doomed, not the African National Congress.
The Tunisia-like protests will not happen in South Africa, because the ANC government has made profound progress in placing institutions, structures and virtues of democracy, which allow the people of South Africa to freely and fairly choose public representatives after every five years. Besides entrenched democracy in South Africa, the ANC government is at the forefront of the attack in the battle against poverty, unemployment and starvation. The ANC government has since 1994 provided basic services to the people of South Africa, including water, electricity, sanitation, houses, roads, access to free education, healthcare, safety and security and many other basic social services needed for sustainable livelihoods.
For Moeletsi Mbeki to suggest that the people of South Africa will revolt to topple the ANC government is day-dreaming inspired by his hatred of the African National Congress. we all agree that the biggest challenge confronting South African society currently is joblessness, which the ANC government said should be tackled as a matter of urgency. The ANC government acknowledges the need and urgency of job creation and will dedicate everything it does to create many jobs for the unemployed population.
The central political question which the 2012 National Conference of the ANC will tackle will be the increased role of the State in the ownership and control of strategic sectors of the economy, in particular the natural resources supply sectors such as mining and land. If there will be any revolt in South Africa, it will not be against the ANC government, but against white monopoly capitalists who continue to extract our resources, massively profit, whilst our people remain without jobs and living in poverty.
Those who live in different planets, like Moeletsi Mbeki do not appreciate the massive progress made by the ANC government, nor appreciate its genuine programmes to mobilise the whole of society behind the noble objective of jobs for all who need jobs. South Africa's democratic foundation is rooted on the blood of martyrs of our revolution and will never be shaken.
Statement issued by Floyd Shivambu, the African National Congress Youth League, February 18 2011
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