ANC YL WISHES THE ANC A HAPPY 98TH ANNIVERSARY
The African National Congress Youth League joins millions of South Africans in wishing the African National Congress a happy, developmental, productive, reflective and inspirational 98th birthday. Today, the 8th of January 2010 marks exactly 98 years of the African National Congress' existence as a National Liberation Movement. It also marks 98 years of dedicated, disciplined and determined battles to defeat the oppression of one race by another to create a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa through social and economic emancipation of the black majority and Africans in particular.
The ANC YL celebrates the fact that our gallant, revolutionary and disciplined Youth League has been part of the ANC for the 65 years of the ANC's 98 years of existence. The ANC YL further celebrates the reality that the Youth League's formation in 1944 gave new impetus and fighting spirit to the African National Congress. More than any other part of the National Liberation Movement in South Africa, the ANC YL can safely and correctly acclaim the fact that we turned the ANC into a fighting force against imperialism and racial oppression.
The ANC's 98th anniversary coincides with the 55th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, which for the past 55 years has been the beacon of hope for the people of South Africa. In celebrating the 98th, 99th and 100th anniversaries of the ANC, the ANC YL will do everything in its power to ensure that all aims and objectives of the Freedom Charter are realised. The ANC YL will, reminiscent of our founding generation such as Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Mxolisi Majombozi, Ashby Mda, Anton Lembede, mobilise and intensively lobby for the realisation and practicalisation of all Freedom Charter objectives.
The great moments in the history of the African National Congress have always been represented by its ability to take giant leaps and decisive action in a manner that adequately adapted to existent material conditions. Our strong conviction as this generation of the ANC Youth League is that the period towards the centenary of the ANC in 2012 should prepare the African National Congress to adopt a radical, progressive and decisive programme which will ensure that the wealth of South Africa is returned to the ownership and benefit of the people as a whole.
The democratic dispensation has given the ANC sufficient political power to change society for the better, and it is high time that we utilise that power to redress the legacy of apartheid in all spheres of society. The ANC should begin to understand that in the process of radical change, not everyone will be happy and not everyone will support the revolution and that mistakes are bound to happen. The ANC YL will in celebrating the years towards the centenary prepare the ANC, the alliance and South African society for the necessary and long overdue change in economic and social transformation.
In the process of change, the African National Congress should never be hijacked by any of its class components for a narrow programme. The broad-church composition of the ANC and its determination to achieve the Freedom Charter should be defended. We call on all loyal members of the ANC to rise in defence of the AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS.
Happy Birthday ANC
Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, January 8 2009
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