PAN AFRICAN YOUTH UNION WELCOMES AND SUPPORTS THE MASS ACTION PLANNED BY THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Pan African Youth Union (PYU) welcomes and supports the Economic Freedom Mass Action to be led by the ANC Youth League of South Africa on the 27th and 28thof October 2011. As the PYU a leader and a representative of the struggles of young people in the African continent, we support this mass action primarily because it speaks to the core of the issues that directly affect Africans in general and young people in the continent in particular. We cannot over emphasise the urgent need to transform the economic and property relations not only in South Africa but to the rest of the continent to benefit the majority of the population. The youth of South Africa continue to be an inspiration to the rest of the continent in leading at the front of the ongoing struggles to transform their country in line with the will of the people.
It is a known fact that the economic structure in a post democratic South Africa continues to resemble the features of the economic structure under apartheid. Informed by South Africa's rich history of mass action, often led from the front by young people, the PYU is confident that even at this point the youth of South Africa will rise to the occasion and make the necessary noise in raising pertinent issues of development. We support the call by the ANC Youth League for an equal share in the country's mineral resources, free quality education and jobs for young people. We do so mindful of the fact that young people in the African continent constitute more than 50% of the entire population, they further constitute just over 75% of the unemployed.
As the PYU we strongly condemn the tragedy wherein the mineral wealth of Africa continues to enrich foreigners, while the African people continue to live a life of squalor, characterized by high levels of unemployment, poverty and many diseases. It is time that the mineral wealth of the African continent benefits its rightful owners, Africans. When the PYU met is South Africa in 2009, we took a clear resolution that African youth must actively participate in the economic mainstream. We reaffirmed that Africa's mineral resources belong to Africa and that there should be campaigns against imperialism to prevent the economic colonization of Africa. We are however disturbed to learn that there are youth formations within South Africa who do not support the mass action intended not only to raise alarm but to call for urgent action around the apparent comfort of various stakeholders on the current status of young people.
In-line with the declaration of the ANC Youth League in their recent congress of "Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime" we applaud the youth of South Africa in taking the lead in their own struggles as well as the struggle of the youth of the continent. As the PYU we salute you and say Economic Freedom now.
Statement issued by Tandai Wenyika, Pan African Youth Union Vice-Secretary, October 25 2011
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