YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF SOUTH AFRICA – YCLSA GAUTENG PROVINCIAL LEKGOTLA STATEMENT Monday, 5 March 2012 The YCLSA in the province of Gauteng convened its first annual Lekgotla of the Third Gauteng Congress Provincial Executive Committee (PEC). The Lekgotla was initially planned to take place from Saturday to Sunday, 3 to 4 March 2012. However, it was concluded late Saturday night in order to support an enabling environment for YCLSA structures and members to participate in SACP programmes that the party scheduled for Sunday, 4 March 2012, particularly in Greater Tshwane District. The Lekgotla was addressed by YCLSA National Committee Members, SACP Provincial Secretary (act.) comrade Jacob Mamabolo, and ANCYL provincial chairperson comrade Lebogang Maile. The Lekgotla received and considered various reports, political and organisational, Third YCLSA Gauteng Congress (November 2011) resolutions on socio-economic transformation and youth development, and a report on the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). Against demagoguery:
The Lekgotla noted that the political process in our country is still characterised by various tendencies, some of which are, objectively, partially a direct reflection of the global capitalist crisis that erupted in 2008. As correctly identified by the SACP, demagoguery is one of these tendencies. It is our view that although not in all its strands, demagoguery is presently in crisis. We, however, are alive to the fact that demagoguery is not disengaging. Demagoguery continues to receive support from patronage networks, and mobilisation, although not exclusively, of the elements of the dangerous class, i.e. the lumpen proletariat. Demagogic mobilisation is behind the attempts, which we condemn to the contempt it deserves, to disrupt the programmes of the national democratic revolution (NDR). In addition to right wing demagoguery as exposed by the SACP, the Lekgotla identified a manifestation of demagoguery in more political tendencies. Populist demagoguery is one of them, and is not only right wing, but has some left wing manifestations. This strand of demagoguery displays the features of opportunism and with it inconsistency. The Lekgotla also noted that the psychopathic feature of demagoguery, which is characterised by lack of remorse for wrongdoing and ruthlessness whenever it is in charge, seems to be in an offensive. As the YCLSA in Gauteng we are therefore appealing all young people, including young communists as members of the ANC in their own right, never to fold arms whenever the programmes of the NDR as led organisationally by the ANC are disrupted and its leadership is being attacked. In order to defend and advance what we called the Polokwane dialectic, in particular the progressive content inclusive of increased alliance unity, young communists will come in active defence whenever the programmes of the NDR and ANC leadership come under attack. As would be determined from the constantly occurring change, this defence will be exercised in the form of pre-emptive strikes as and when it is necessary. Discipline in the movement: The Lekgotla reaffirmed the position that while as the YCLSA we are interested in revolutionary discipline and moral in individual formations of our ANC-led national liberation movement, we however respect their independence and that of their internal disciplinary processes. We shall not in any way seek to interfere in such processes. Against the most dangerous enemy: As part of our struggle to fight against the exploitation of labour by capital, we are determined as young communists to defend the character of the SACP as a working class, Marxist-Leninist organisation. While we are not opposed to party sympathisers, we are however against hypocrisy and class conflict of interests that are poised to creep into the SACP if sufficient vigilance is not exercised. In particular, we are sensitive to the fact that the most dangerous enemy in class struggle is the internal one, which in working class organisations can find a profound expression in class conflicted elements. As the YCLSA we are opposed to all forms of hypocrisy in general and in particular class hypocrisy. We are worried that if this is not nipped in the bud the party can find itself faced with opportunism and internal destabilisation. As such, our Lekgotla has drawn the line. It is our firm position that individuals who exploit the working class, by holding tenders through privately owned companies, directorship or being shareholders in privately owned companies, must not form part of any party leadership organ. We shall push for the declaration of interests by all party leaders in the province at all levels, and do more other work in this regard. Against liberalism: We condemn liberalism and its hypocrisy as displayed by the DA in particular and other tendencies in general. While posing to believe in democracy, the DA has been manoeuvring by all means to govern without winning elections. We condemn all of such manoeuvres to the contempt it deserves. In particular, the call by the DA for the MEC of health in Gauteng to be dismissed is opportunistic, utterly deceptive and therefore we reject it in its entirety. We support the decisions that have been announced by the premier last week relating to the separation of social development from health under the present circumstances. However, as young communists we believe that while there are other challenges that must be resolved, such as supply chain management and importantly, dealing with associated corruption, unless structural challenges are addressed of all other provinces the problems facing the public health system in Gauteng might not be resolved. National Youth Development Agency (NYDA): Our Lekgotla expressed serious reservations about progress on youth development and the workings of the NYDA, in particular its bureaucratic mechanism. We will initiate a debate on whether the NYDA as it stands represents progress and the achievement of the intended aim for which it was established. We are extremely concerned that the tendencies that were associated with the youth commissions and Umsobomvu Youth Fund seem to have found their footing and continuity in the NYDA. Generally, the NYDA appears to be working as a bureaucratic organ with more reliance on private consultants through tenders than on participatory democracy and mobilisation of the youth to be involved in making decisions that affect them. Transport infrastructure and labour brokers: The Lekgotla reiterated our position as the YCLSA that the cost of infrastructures that are aimed at elitist strata and the capitalist class must not be shoved upon the working class and the poor in any particular manner. We are fundamentally opposed to the capitalist class heaping up profit and passing the cost of production and distribution to the working class and the poor through various mechanisms including pricing. As the YCLSA we are calling on the working class and the poor, particularly organised formations to take up the issue of prices seriously in order to fight against exploitation at the till. The Lekgotla reaffirmed YCLSA’s position for the banning of labour brokers, which are used to deepen the exploitation of labour by capital in the spheres of production and distribution. It is in terms of this class perspective that we support the COSATU action that is scheduled for Wednesday, 7 March 2011 in which we shall take part. Strategic plan and programme of action: The Lekgotla adopted a strategic plan for the period March 2012 to November 2014, and an annual programme of action for the period March 2012 to March 2013. Central to these programmes are the strategic objectives to build organisation, defend and advance SACP’s medium term vision (MTV) in general and in particular as encapsulated in the party programme The South African Road to Socialism which will be revised in the party’s next National Congress in July 2012. Our programmes reaffirm the importance, among others, of YCLSA campaigns. 1. Political education and ideological training. 2. Joe Slovo right to learn campaign: We have now formally endorsed active participation in the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign (QLTC) led by government to be part of the Joe Slovo right to learn campaign. 3. Circumcision of young boys and free sanitary towels campaign. In this regard we appreciate the efforts by the NYDA in the province for its initiative of the provision of free sanitary towels as part of the social development package. 4. Employment creation and decent work agenda including jobs for youth campaign. Released by YCLSA Gauteng, Johannesburg Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo – Provincial Secretary 082 9200 308 Matankana Mothapo – Provincial Spokesperson 082 759 0900 Sent from my BlackBerry® -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
