STATEMENT ON THE NEWS 24 JOURNALIST AND ATTEMPTS TO DIVERT THE ANC YL FROM ITS MISSION FOR ECONOMIC FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIME:
14 July 2011
The ANC Youth League has noted attempts by various sections of the media, particularly the right-wing, Afrikaans media to divert the attention of the organisation from the critical and core issues the organisation engages concerning socio-political and economic transformation (see Beeld report).
Since the ANC YL 24th National Congress, sections of the media realised that they cannot provide intellectually sound engagement of the ANC Youth League policy positions, chose instead to focus on individuals and pry on private non-related issues about leaders of the ANC Youth League. They also chose to engage in disgustingly provocative methods and means of engagement with the ANC YL, aimed at diverting attention from the core issues resolved and re-affirmed by the 24th National Congress.
The recent past incident of a News 24 Journalist who was disgustingly making a media enquiry with the ANC YL is unfortunate and will never happen again. The incident does not represent the attitude of the ANC YL to the media in general, but was a specific incident which was unfortunate and will never happen again.
The ANC YL will continue to have professional relationship with the media, and once again makes a humble plea that media should not confuse disrespectful and disgusting methods of engagement with honest media enquiries. In this regard, we will not be taking media enquiries about the News 24 Journalist and the unfortunate incident, because they do not represent anything the ANC YL stands for.
The programme for economic freedom in our lifetime should never be diverted by incidents which are not part of the political programme. Our focus and emphasis are on nationalisation of Mines, expropriation of land without compensation, provision of free education and all the vital components of the programme of action for economic freedom in our lifetime.
Statement issued by Floyd Shivambu, ANC Youth League, July 14 2011
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