*STATEMENT OF THE YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF SA ON BILLY MASETLHA* *11 October 2009*
The Young Communist League of South Africa (uFasimba) notes with contempt and extreme disappointment the comments attributed to ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Billy Masetlha in the Mail and Guardian, 9 October 2009. We view Masetlha’s statements as taking us back to the pre-Polokwane Conference attitude of seeking to mobilise ANC members and leaders against communists and trade-union leaders in the ANC. The statement is equally against the letter and spirit of the ANC leadership that seeks to rebuild a strong Alliance. It is hypocritical for Masetlha to suggest that the Alliance was only necessary when there were problems within the ANC, and that leaders such as Blade Nzimande and Zwelinzima Vavi where only necessary to defeat the 1996 class project. What is even worse is for Masetlha to threaten dissent against the president of the ANC, Jacob Zuma, at the next Conference if he (Zuma) does not act against Nzimande and others. Contrary to Masetlha’s fantasies and misdiagnosis about why Polokwane happened, change had to come in the leadership of the ANC precisely because of the divisive nature of the then President of the ANC when it came to the Alliance. We want to emphasise that issues such as banning Labour Brokers, dissolution of the SABC Board and other allegations against the SACP and COSATU are in fact part of the ANC Resolutions and some of them where in the ANC Election Manifesto; unless if Masetlha is suggesting that the ANC should renege from the promises it made to the electorate and not implement its Manifesto. We are also worried that Masetlha chose to unleash a salvo against the office bearers of the SACP, Gwede Mantashe, Phumolo Masualle and Nzimande. Isolating these leaders because of their membership and leadership of the SACP and accusing them of being influential in the ANC is very consistent and reminds with the same reasons that Terror Lekota gave when he was issuing divorce papers. How sad that there is such a coincidence, but equally, how revealing. We hope that Masetlha will regain his sobriety and temperance; reconsider his divisive statements and apologise to all the leaders that he had targeted, or face rebuke by the ANC. Issued by the YCLSA Head Office For more information contact Gugu Ndima (076 783 1516) National spokesperson -- Gugu Ndima +27 76 783 1516 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
