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(TALKZIMBABWE) Malema urges support for President Mugabe

Malema urges support for President Mugabe
By: TH-Agencies
Posted: Monday, October 18, 2010 12:58 am

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has reiterated that South Africa’s government must strengthen support for President Mugabe’s fight against imperialism, neo-colonialism and exploitation. The outspoken youth leader vowed to campaign for "economic freedom" in his lifetime, charging that South Africa’s mineral riches were not benefiting the poor.

At a meeting of the World Federation Youth and Students in Pretoria on Friday, Malema said while the "outstanding generation" of liberation heroes like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo had brought "political freedom", today’s generation must draw inspiration "to fight for economic freedom in our lifetime".

Spotlighting President Mugabe’s progressive black empowerment drive, Malema said South Africa should take similar steps to create a fair society.
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Malema added: "Economic freedom in our lifetime means that we are now engaged in an openly anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist struggle to transfer wealth from the minority to the majority.

"This includes our call for nationalisation of mines. South Africa is the richest country in the world with regards to mineral resources, yet the most unequal in the world.

"Our people continue to live in poverty and starvation, whilst beneath the soil of South Africa is massive wealth, which should be redirected to benefit all our people."

The ANC Youth League will use the World Festival for Youth and Students "to call for a more progressive international perspective and foreign policy from the South African government", Malema said.

He added: "Our foreign policy cannot be about pleasing the interests of imperialists at the expense of progressive forces. Our position on Zimbabwe should be revised and a policy that seeks to strengthen the national liberation movement in Zimbabwe be adopted.

"Our relationship with national liberation movements such as Zanu-PF cannot be just defined by how we relate with them in the past, but what they do in the current period to fight against imperialism, neo-colonialism and exploitation."

Malema has often spoken out strongly in support of President Mugabe and Zimbabwe, drawing the ire of retrogressive forces seeking to isolate the country and its leadership.

Attempts by some sections of the media to get the ANC to castigate Zimbabwe have fallen flat and South Africa — along with other Zimbabwe allies — has in the past rejected attempts to impose United Nations Security Council sanctions on the country.

Labels: ANC YOUTH LEAGUE, INDEPENDENCE, JULIUS MALEMA, LIBERATION, NEOCOLONIALISM, ROBERT MUGABE, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 4:26 PM