YCLSA statement on COSATU's call for President Jacob Zuma's second term

The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] supports the COSATU's call for President Jacob Zuma to avail himself for the second term as the ANC and state President.

We are interested in the ANC leadership because we want a leadership that will build and respect the Alliance. We will only stop being interested in the ANC leadership once the Alliance is over.  As long as the Alliance is still intact and we are expected to mobilise and organise for the ANC electoral victory during elections as one of our key common programme to retain the ANC alliance in the state, our interest in the ANC leadership will remain unchanged.  As independent, albeit inter-dependent strategic allies, we influence each other, and therefore there is no contradiction between our views on the ANC leadership and the ANC's organisational autonomy.  

It is our view that the ANC leadership under President Jacob Zuma has shown significant respect for the Alliance and the ANC itself. Notwithstanding a number of challenges in the conceptualisation and implementation of the reconfigured Alliance, particularly in some provinces, Allies relations have significantly improved since the 2007 ANC National Conference in Polokwane.

Our experience in the last 15 years has taught us that we can no longer be spectators in the theatre of class struggle within the ANC when some people are plotting day and night to capture the ANC for their own narrow BEE elitist interests which have nothing to do with what the ANC stands for. We should also make it clear that our support for the ANC cannot be unconditional. We will continue to support a working class bias ANC in practice - nothing else!

We are also aware that there are those who are not opposed to the ANC President leadership as such, but cannot wait to be ANC officials as soon as possible.  Whilst affirming their rights to stand for any position, we just want to signal to them that we do not agree with them. It is too early for them to start wetting their appetite for power.

We urge those who disagree with us on this question to come out and disagree with us on substance. And stop concealing their views under bureaucratic and procedural arguments which hinge on when and who should raise this question. We do not need political referees to tell us when to air our views on any matter.

We also note the growing attack on the SACP Chairperson and ANC Secretary General - Gwede Mantashe by social forces within society and the ANC itself. Notwithstanding our healthy differences with him as a leader of the ANC, we would like to re-affirm our confidence in him as the ANC Secretary General and will urge him to avail himself for the position of the ANC Secretary General.

Clarity on these matters will enable all of us to focus all our resources and energies on building our organisational and state capacity to implement our electoral mandate.

We will agitate and mobilise our structures including our ANC on these matters.

Statement issued by the YCLSA Head Office, COSATU House, Braamfontein, June 8 2009

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