Issue 1, Vol 6: 15 January 2009 *In this issue:*
- Of Nzimande, Motlanthe, Godongwana and the Youth League Plot!<http://www.ycl.org.za/main.php?include=pubs/bot/2009/issue2.html#one> - Aspire to be like Mzala ....write...write and write!<http://www.ycl.org.za/main.php?include=pubs/bot/2009/issue2.html#two> Of Nzimande, Motlanthe, Godongwana and the Youth League Plot! The Sunday newspapers, City Press and Sunday Times, over the weekend published news stories about the divisions in the ANC and the ANC Youth League. The City Press suggested that there is a huge rift between the senior Comrades, ANC Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, ANC NEC member Enoch Godongwana and SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande. Over and above commenting on these alleged divisions, the Sunday Times also had an angle about a section of leadership in the ANC Youth League who are allegedly plotting to unseat Julius Malema at the "forthcoming National General Council" of the League. The objective of these news stories is to suggest that there are still deep seated divisions in the ANC and the primary discord is about power and control. The other objective is to pit comrade against comrade in order to ensure either the ruining of one or all of the comrades because of this desire for power. The suggestion that Comrade Blade Nzimande is hell-bent on discrediting the image of Comrade Kgalema Motlanthe in order that he becomes Deputy President of the Republic after elections is not made for the first time within media circles, but remains as laughable as the suggestion, again made in media circles, that in his capacity as President of the Republic, Motlanthe is collaborating with the Shikota outfit. A few observations are in order. It is clear that the news stories are not only the figmentation of the minds of those who are in the media, but are also supported by some who are within the ANC NWC whose objectives are to create a tension between Motlanthe and Nzimande in order that they emerge as part of this crises. This is clearly visible from the media's publication of views as expressed in the NWC of the ANC, whether they are a matter of fact or not. It is also clear that there still remains a tendency, not only by some in the media, but also by some within the ANC, who seek to continue the pre-Polokwane agenda of marginalizing the Alliance partners and entrench what we thought has been defeated in Polokwane. We are aware, for instance, that there are certain individuals whom the SACP should name when it engages with the ANC on this matter, who are preoccupied with discrediting the image of Nzimande so that they achieve their means of continued dominance and marginalization of the Alliance. These forces are fabricating an imaginary battle between Nzimande, Godongwana and Motlanthe so that they can elevate certain people into the NWC. The marginalization of the Alliance also works through a public campaign of instilling terror and creating a "red for danger" mentality by suggesting that communists are in control of the ANC. This is obviously intended to mobilize members of the ANC to act against, or treat with political impunity communists who are members of the ANC and are serving in its highest echelons. We need to start appreciating the fact that since Polokwane, leaders of the Alliance have at all times sought to ensure that they retain unity not only by plastering the cracks, but by sealing the issues which had remained a burden on the working of the Alliance. We are not ashamed that there are members of the ANC NEC who are communists, and that the same happens in its lower structures. We have always insisted that communists are not a faction in the ANC and that they should do their best in building the ANC as an organ of national liberation that advances a radical National Democratic Revolution. Any communist who seek to operate as a faction within the ANC or COSATU merely defeats the ultimate agenda of the SACP. Without papering over the difference (and not divisions), there are clearly legitimate concerns from the Alliance partners about the extent we have gone in processing the "Scorpions Bill" and the Public Broadcaster's Amendment Bill. All of these concerns have been raised within and with the ANC with the intention of having them addressed as urgently as possible. The fact that even the ANC Chief Whip has raised the concerns last week and went to the extent of meeting with the President of the Republic shows the extent of the concerns within the ANC and the Alliance. Obviously, the courage and culture of raising issues directly with the President of the Republic either by parliament of the Alliance died as part of the agenda of the 1996 class project to marginalize all of these structures. Because the agents of that agenda are no longer within the state, or at least the chief proponents of those agents are no more, there is no need for either Nzimande, Motlanthe or Godongwana to involve themselves in gossips about whether the emperor is naked or not. The ANC Youth League story, equally spread by comrades internally in our structures to the media in order to communicate a message, feeds into this line that the desire for power divides the ANC. It would help nobody if members of the ANC Youth League preoccupy themselves into conspiring against the leadership of their organization when our primary goal should be to win the forthcoming elections. We challenge the media to report on the extent of this conspiracy, its ability to mobilize members of the Youth League behind it and whether it is indeed a widely supported agenda within the League. As for all of us, as members of the Alliance structures and Progressive Youth Alliance should busy ourselves in constructing the road to the Union Buildings. This we should do by focusing our attention to the elections campaign and defeating the opposition parties. We have no doubt that even if there may be differences within the comrades mentioned; they are not divided to the extent that they are enemies as projected by the Sunday newspapers. We are also confident that as comrades they will never be involved in an agenda of destroying each other, and then consequently destroy the Alliance. With time, those who are behind the rumours that there are divisions will be exposed and realize that the blanket of lies is not as big as that of truth. That's the Bottomline, cos the YCL said so! *Buti Manamela* *National Secretary* --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
