COMMENT - So the ANC has a defender of the apartheid economy and apartheid history in command of the South African ministry of agriculture.
Young Communist League calls for Mulder's resignation
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Feb 19 2012 18:02
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder is trying to rewrite history and
suggest that settlers and colonialists found South Africa as a "house to let", the Young Communist League of South Africa said on Sunday.
"The fact is that
land was dispossessed violently and through bloodshed, and ultimately legislated in 1913, leaving Africans with no choice but to subject themselves to wage exploitation in the mining industry," league secretary Buti Manamela said in a statement on its lekgotla.
"Such utterances are nothing but archaic white denialism and [it] will defeat the very process of land redistribution and land restitution."
On Wednesday, Mulder suggested in Parliament that black "Bantu-speaking" people had no historical claim to 40% of the country.
"Africans in particular never in the past lived in the whole of South Africa," he said during debate on President Jacob Zuma's state of the nation address.
Zuma later warned Mulder to tread carefully on the emotive issue of land reform.
Resignation
On Sunday, the league called for Mulder's resignation as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
"We do not believe that a person such as Pieter Mulder should serve in government, especially in his responsibility in Agriculture and Forestry," said Manamela.
"We call for his immediate resignation as he does not share the overall objectives of government, or for the president to release him from his duties."
In its statement, the league said concerns about the use of judicial institutions for political gain were also raised at its lekgotla.
"We support the proposed regulations for members of the judiciary to declare their business interests and benefits like all other public office bearers," it said.
It would campaign for constitutional amendments to require the judiciary to be subjected to popular and democratic elections.
"If they serve the public, then the public must determine who should serve in such offices at all levels of the judicial system."
'The movement remains'
The lekgotla also touched on the disciplinary hearing against suspended ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema and his executive.
" ... In the movement, individuals come and go, but the movement remains no matter how big we believe we are in comparison to the movement," he said.
In November, Malema and other youth league leaders were found guilty of bringing the ANC into disrepute and of sowing division within the party.
This was after they, among other things, made comments about regime change in Botswana.
They were suspended for periods ranging from 18 months to five years and unsuccessfully appealed against the sanctions. They are now presenting evidence in mitigation.
-- Sapa
Labels: APARTHEID, BUTI MANAMELA, COMMUNISM, JULIUS MALEMA, LAND REFORM, SACP, SOUTH AFRICA
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ANC is under siege, observes Mantashe
Written by Chibaula Silwamba, Mutuna Chanda and Fridah Zinyama in Johannesburg
Monday, December 15, 2008 4:53:31 AM
SOUTH Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) secretary general Gwede Mantashe has said the ANC-led tripartite alliance is under siege following the formation of a breakaway party.
And Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) general secretary Buti Manamela has branded the breakaway party, Congress of the People, as that of baboons using propaganda in misleading the people that it is popular.
Meanwhile, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) president S’dumo Dlamini has charged that some people in the South African government were looting public resources to undermine and render the new administration of President Kgalema Monthlanthe useless.
Addressing delegates to the 2008 national council of the Young Communist League of South Africa at University of Johannesburg in South Africa on Saturday, Mantashe urged all supporters of the ANC, its alliance partners - South African Communist League (SACP) and COSATU - to make sure that the breakaway party, Congress of the People does not succeed in next year’s elections because its founders had betrayed the principles of the country’s independence revolution.
Mantashe said there was no honour for a revolutionary who could not stand up and defend their revolution.
“The national council of the Young Communist League is an important event in the calendar of the SACP and therefore it’s an important date in the broad alliance. It is important because it gives the young people an opportunity to debate serious issues and engage themselves. It is a major contribution in the development of the young mind,” said Mantashe, who is also SACP national chairperson. “It is very important this time around in an environment where our movement is under siege. While we must be fighting battles from different fronts, this requires us to choose the battle we want to fight and choose those that are critical for us to win the war. Preservation of our history and the heritage is the battle worth fighting...that is the fight about the name Congress of the People. That is a battle to fight.”
He urged the members of the alliance partners to campaign vigorously to ensure that the ANC wins the elections.
“Every YCL member must be an active member of the ANC youth league and ultimately an active member of the ANC. You have to defend the revolution. It is our responsibility to mobilise those around us,” said Mantashe.
However, Mantashe expressed concern over the Western Cape Province where the ANC lost in ward elections to the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) mainly due to the influence of the governing party’s breakaway party, the Congress of the People.
“Western Cape has been disastrous in all respects. There can be no justification for waiting until the last moment to raise the circumference. It is one province that has to be treated as a disaster area and be managed as such,” he said.
Mantashe also assured that the ANC would continue siding with the working class.
“It is the responsibility of the allies of the ANC to keep the ANC bias towards the working people and the poor,” he said.
Mantashe rose to the global political stage about two months ago when he made a historic announcement of the ANC national executive committee’s resolution to recall former president Thabo Mbeki as Republican President.
And Manamela charged that Cope was using propaganda to mislead South Africans that it was popular to the extent that it claimed that it had 500,000 members within a short period.
He said it was not possible for Cope to mobilise 500,000 South Africans within a short period.
Manamela also said YCL maintained its resolution that Zuma must become South Africa’s president next year.
“We have members of the YCL who will be going all out because we know that the youth vote is the most important vote and the most determining vote in the next coming election,” Manamela said. “We are aware that of the more than 21 million people who have registered to vote, 25 per cent of those are young people. So it will be our preoccupation to ensure that those young people vote and vote for the ANC.”
“We have dedicated ourselves [and] we have taken a resolution that Jacob Zuma will be the President of the Republic, nothing can stop us. Amandla!” shouted Manamela as the crowd overwhelmingly responded and sang: “Zuma! Oh Zuma wethu! Zuma!”
Manamela also said labour brokers were enslaving the young people.
“We will be going all out to ensure that we do away with labour brokers and the other thing related to that is that employers use labour brokers for their own convenience so that they don’t deal directly with labour. We don’t want labour brokers because that affects young people,” said Manamela.
YCL members sang songs in support of Zuma on Saturday throughout the night.
And Dlamini, in his address to the YCL delegates, said there were some people who were looting in government.
“They are looting. We suspect that this is being done for two reasons either to undermine and render the new administration useless or it is done by those who are not sure about their jobs in government,” said Dlamini. “We call upon the Young Communist League to help COSATU, SACP and ANC and identify those people who are busy looting so that we act now and act decisively.”
He also said the Congress of the People would not achieve what it wants to achieve because it was counter-revolution.
“The breakaway party wants to achieve what the opposition political parties have failed to achieve in this country. That is why we must make sure that they do not succeed,” Dlamini said. “Let us focus our energy to ensuring that we maximise the victory of the ANC. Let us ensure that we go out there and mobilise our members, our families, our friends, our girlfriends, our boyfriends to vote for the ANC. Go to every street and every village for a decisive victory of the African National Congress.”
He also urged YCL members to explain to the people on the impact of the global financial crisis.
“We must be the first to come out to explain to our people how the global meltdown will affect them so that when we take the war in the streets people will understand,” said S’dumo.
Labels: ANC, BUTI MANAMELA, YCLSA
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Buti calls for unity in Africa
Written by Katwishi Bwalya
Thursday, November 20, 2008 3:39:36 AM
YOUNG Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) national secretary Buti Manamela has observed that the African renaissance will not be achieved as long as old leaders continue to cling on to power.
During the newsmakers forum organised by the Press Freedom Committee of The Post under the theme ‘Communism and African Renaissance’ held at Lusaka Play House on Tuesday evening, Manamela said unity among African countries was critical. Manamela urged the young people on the continent to strive and enhance the principles of African renaissance.
“If African renaissance is to prosper then old people should not cling on to power like what we are seeing on the continent. So it’s up to the African youths to deal with all those who want to stay in power for their own selfish benefits because African renaissance can bring about change and unite Africa,” he said.
Manamela also observed that Africa would not achieve economic independence if countries continued to be controlled by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
“African renaissance didn’t start with South Africa but it was only popularised by [former president] Thabo Mbeki when he was president because the de-colonisation of Africa marked the new formation of colonisation. But there was also need for Africa to unite and conquer the challenges facing the continent,” Manamela said.
He also urged African economies not to measure the economic growth through statistics.
“We are seeing people saying the inflation rate has dropped to 0.3 per cent, or that the economy has grown by 10.3 per cent but what they should know is that economic growth should be based on the social impact it has on the population because what is the essence of that growth when the entire population is wallowing in poverty?” he asked.
Manamela said youths also needed to understand their history so that they could understand their future.
Manamela said issues of unemployment, illiteracy and poverty had made the youths vulnerable.
Labels: BUTI MANAMELA
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KK deplores the tribalism of Oct 30 presidential election
Written by Katwishi Bwalya
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 6:40:25 AM
DR Kenneth Kaunda yesterday said the pattern of voting in the October 30 presidential election that saw President Rupiah Banda emerge victorious is a clear picture of disunity getting to Zambia.
And Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) national secretary Buti Manamela said the youths of today should not be neglected because they are the most important asset for any change in any society.
Meanwhile, South African High Commissioner to Zambia Moses Chikane said there is need for South Africa despite its strong economy to unite with other African countries to meet the challenges affecting the continent.
Speaking when the YCLSA paid a courtesy call on him at his office, Dr Kaunda said the disunity that had manifested itself in the October 30 elections was a dangerous development.
He said the levels of disunity among the people were against the ‘One Zambia One Nation’ which he preached when he was in power.
“Various newspapers gave us a clear picture of who got how many votes in the Northern Province, how many votes one got in the Southern Province... but it is a clear picture of disunity getting into Zambia,” Dr Kaunda said. “People scored on tribal lines, but that is a dangerous development.”
Dr Kaunda said despite having preached against disunity in the beginning, it had continued to manifest itself in the country.
“We preached against that [disunity] in the beginning, One Zambia One Nation but are we going to now allow One Zambia, 72 Nations?” he asked.
Dr Kaunda also questioned how people could preach One Zambia 72 Nations in 2008 and at the same time accept US President-elect Barack Obama’s emphatic victory on behalf of the Zambian people.
Dr Kaunda urged the YCLSA to be strong and fight for what former South African president Nelson Mandela and other freedom fighters stood for.
“This continent is ours and we should stand together for us to succeed,” Dr Kaunda said.
And Manamela said South African history could not be complete without mentioning Zambia and the role it played during the liberation struggle of that country.
“South Africa is highly indebted to the role you played in our struggle of the liberation of our country as most of our freedom fighters took refuge in Zambia. So we thought coming here would help us learn more from you,” he said. “We should also say that we are inspired by your leadership. We believe that our continent, our region needs such courageous men and women like you.”
Manamela said there was so much devastation in the world because the African continent was running out of courageous men of Dr Kaunda’s calibre who would sacrifice for others.
Manamela hoped that as young communists, the delegation would exchange notes with the vibrant youths of Zambia for the betterment of the two countries.
And speaking when the delegation paid a courtesy call on High Commissioner Chikane at his office, Manamela said one factor that led to the marginalisation of the youth was to call them leaders of tomorrow when they were actually leading even today.
“They may not necessarily be leading on a larger scale, they may also be committing a lot of mistakes and errors. But for us the youths of South Africa are the most important asset for any change, for any project that seeks to move us towards transformation and that’s the kind of attitude that we have,” Manamela said.
He said there was need for leaders to allow youth formations to express themselves freely.
“What hurts most is the attitude by our leadership to allow youth movements to speak in a somewhat regulated environment. But what should happen is [to] allow youth formation to express themselves freely and do as many things as possible and in the process when they falter, [they] should come back and say these are the lessons we are learning,” he said.
Manamela said it was a pity that young people of today no longer talked about revolution because they were not connected to the history of their countries and the liberation struggles.
“The greatest challenge we are facing is that the youths of today, are not concerned with the history of their countries. They are saying ‘no, that happened during apartheid so that doesn’t concern us’ but they should know that the role of history is very important on the part of the youths,” he said.
And High Commissioner Chikane said there was need for South Africa to start reviving its bonds that existed with other countries.
“You see life is like boxing, you can be strong today but you can’t be strong tomorrow. So we might be the strongest economy on the continent today, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t do it for other countries,” High Commissioner Chikane said. “There are a lot of challenges that we are facing today not only economic but social challenges as well. So if you don’t know your neighbours very well then you don’t know yourselves because our future is intertwined.”
High Commissioner Chikane also called on youths to contribute in whatever way they could to the betterment of society.
Labels: BUTI MANAMELA, COMMUNISM, KENNETH KAUNDA, MOSES CHIKANE, YCLSA
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