*YCLSA Free State Press Statement * September 23, 2013
*YCLSA Free State PEC statement* The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] in Free State convened its Provincial Committee from 21-22 September 2013 in Welkom, Tisha Vanga District. The Provincial Committee was convened under the theme: * “Building a political organisation as a nucleus for class struggle and proletariat consciousness”*** *The first decade of the YCLSA since its re-establishment in 2003 * Among others, the PC analysed the first decade of the re-establishment of the YCLSA (since 2003) as an important milestone for the organisation. In this period the YCLSA has become a political home for many youths and has fought many battles alongside the vanguard party – South African Communist Party, and the trade union movement – Congress of South African Trade Unions. The last decade has also witnessed the working class suffering from millions of job losses in the formal sector and from wide-scale casualisation in many low paying high density jobs. The farming and manufacturing sectors are the most affected with many youths left jobless. As we will enter into the new decade soon, the material conditions require that the YCLSA renews itself as an agent for young workers. The YCLSA Free State recommits itself to continue fighting these battles together with organised labour and the party. *The provincial economy* The PC also noted that the Free State province, because of its central location, is widely attracting investors particularly in the manufacturing sector following the call made by the Premier in the last State of the Province Address. In our view, the Free State province has not recorded any significant growth in the last decade, at least not beyond 3% and while government is reminiscing about building a strong industrial base, established capital conglomerates are already heeding to this call by government through the construction of shopping centres and malls all over the province. The continued sale of the public property especially land, for private use in the name of development is also growing at a rapid pace. This entrenches the development of private hospitals, schools, and high income residential areas which are meant to deepen class divisions in our society. The PC also resolved to challenge the role of major industrial corporations similar to SASOL in Sasolburg, Simba and Clover which are responsible for many life threatening diseases imposed in our communities. At this point there is no clear programme or strategy from SASOL that is intended to uplift its immediate surrounding areas. With a turnover of about $20 billion at the end of 2012, SASOL dismally failed to support sporting codes in Zamdela especially the local soccer team playing in the Vodacom League. *The political discourse in SA* We congratulate the South African Students’ Congress for its SRC electoral victory in most campuses but more specifically, at the UFS QwaQwa campus where they won against Inkatha aligned student formations. The PC also noted that some new political agitators are hell-bent on using our people only for mass actions for their own interest projecting only a possibility that a sudden consciousness can be built on vigilantism. This conceptualisation is consistent with the political developments in our country and the YCLSA will continue to serve as a home for many of our political youths hence we are the only socialist youth organisation in the province. In the recent past we have witnessed a series of campaigns by some among us projecting themselves as advocates of dissent. Such elements have adopted an anarchist posture fused with syndicalism and ultimately projected themselves as vigilante formations. We have adopted three clear programmes of action at this PC meeting which we will implement soon throughout the province. These are 1) Red October Programme 2) 4th Annual Ruth First Memorial Games Programme and 3) 2014 General Elections Programme. Our existing YCLSA Free State health programme, which includes among others, visits to health facilities in the province, will be extended to address the dire challenges of malnutrition and lifestyle diseases which mostly affect black working class people. Lastly, PC resolved to continue working with all alliance partners for the electoral victory of the ANC in the forthcoming elections. The adopted programmes to galvanise support from organised groups of young people for the forthcoming elections will be executed by all structures of the YCLSA in the province. Central to these will be to ensure that young people are registered to vote and are in possession of identity documents. *ISSUED BY YCLSA FREE STATE* For more information contact: Fezile Sonkwane YCLSA Free State Spokesperson Cell: 079 991 4618 [email protected] -- -- 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] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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