Cadres, what you are raising is definetly a topic we should all be concern about. The state of cosas leaves much to be desired, there is overwhelmeing evidence of a decaying student movement. Like Anc, Sacp and other progressive formations, Cosas has not been and is not immune from infiltration by opportunists, careerist, and all forms and manifastations of foreign tendencies. I have been a member and a leader of cosas myself, i know very well that cosas throughout its existence embraced a militant, vibrant and radical leradership, this is one of the core principles that has distinguished cosas from other youth formations. But with due respect, the militant and radical charecter of cosas has been lately diluted and confussed with anarchy, dangerous rhetoric and problematic lifestyle. One of the emerging tendency is poeple who want to lead cosas even years beyond their schooling, others deliberatly repeats grade 11 for 2-3 years so that they can remain in cosas, others literally drop out of school yet contunue to lead cosas. We cannot allow these kind of tendencies, cosas should prepare and produce cadres who will advance to FET and Higher Education Institutions, these should be critical pool of leaners baptised with tghe congress movement traditions from high school education.
I hope that National Confernce of Cosas which is taking place in Cape Town will deal these issues, the state of organsation and charecter of cosas in the current dispensation. I agree with cde matimba that cosas need to introspect itself, in particular the kind of issues they raise. As revoluntionary marxists we know very well that education should not be divorced from broader sociatal matters of politilcal economy, Cosas as a revolutionary student movmenet should be intersted in the politics of the Country, but this should not be at the expense of bread and butter issues confronting school ediucation in our Country. We want to hear more the voice and perspective of cosas on scholl curriculum, scholl infrasctruture, ICT, Busaries, cultlture of learning and teaching, matric pass rate , teenege pregnency, school violence etc. Cosas should not compete with the Ancyl on Anc politics, it shoiuld rather complement the Yl, what we are hearing on the ground is cosas which goes to Anc Confernces and pronounce leadership. This should not be the standing item of Cosas, for sure Anc is interested to hear the perspective of cosas on a variety of issues i have listed above. The Ancyl has got the capacity to influence leadership in the Anc , so is YCL in the Sacp, Cosas should complete where neccessary. I lastly agree with Matimba that we cannot claim things are normal when high school pupil develop unconquarable lust for expensive and dated liquore, this comrades represents a culture of materialism, expensive lifestyl and greed. Let us not perpetuate these things by using cosas leaders wrongly, ours is to guide them and encourage them to develop skills. Our country and democracy require more young people who are conscious and armed with skills, that is what is susatainable. > > I agree totally with u cadre. > > I attended the so Called COSAS congress during the week in Soweto. i was > shocked!!!! No commssesion were held. No resolutionon the state of > education were pronounced on. The only thing that took place there was > jsut drinking and more drinking by school pupils and leaders nogal. > > My view is that we must look at COSAS as a microcosm of the state of our > movement generally and the youth and student formations in particular. > Mahlathini's political conduct is a reflection of the lack of political > education that we so loosely talk about. Mahlathini for me is a case study > of a good culture, system, tradition and ethos gone wrong. For example the > aphesis on academic education is put through strongly enough any more on > these COSAS cadres. And hence these cadres miss out on a glorious > opportunity for them to expend and straighten grasp and global and > internal balance of forces. Another thing is that ANC and the ANC youth > league has not taken the internal dynamics of COSAS serious for a very > long time. COSAS has been left to run amok with what ideally is suppose > to be a revolutionary students movement that speak clearly to the needs of > students and education in general. > > Cadres Mahlathini is just but a drop in the ocean in as far as the rot > that is taking place in the youth section of our movement is concern. (And > when I say ROT I choose my words carefully). These are cadres who would > rather drink whiskies with older and discuss list processes with older > comrades rather than do their homework…they don’t go to school so they > know nothing about the challenges faced by ordinary pupils. There’re is > just to organize strikes on issues they know nothing about. They sing in > ANC meeting and therefore misconstrued to political clarity. > > One of the anomalies we’re still faced with is our temptation to use these > young people came congresses for use own selfish political ambitions. > Therefore loosing any integrity when the time comes for us to reprimand > them ( after all how can you expect to be listen to while you self lack > revolutionary morality). We have created in the minds of cadres like > Mahlathini that political maturity is a fly by night process and therefore > can be attained with a drop of a pen. Thus we create a monster!!! > > The ANC needs to realize that COSAS is not just a prep school for ANC and > ANCYL but a “school of excellence” of same sort. Where we carve out the > BEST the movement has to offer. > > On a lighter note: As for Mahlathini I think don’t there’s nothing a good > bath and political education retreat can’t fix. Hahahah > > > > > > ------------------------------------------- > South Africas premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > For super low premiums, click here http://home.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm > > > > > ------------------------------------------- South Africas premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za ------------------------------------------------------------------ For super low premiums, click here http://home.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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. 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