*YCL Remembers Bomber Ntshangase, Campaign for ANC* *09 May 2011*
The National Secretary of the YCLSA, Buti Manamela, yesterday called on the people of Mpumalanga to come out in their numbers to picket outside court as the five accused in the murder of Bomber Ntshangase appears tomorrow. Manamela was speaking at the first anniversary since the murder of Ntshangase which was held in Bethal. The accused will appear tomorrow (Tuesday, 10 May 2011) at the Bethal Magistrate Court in Mpumalanga. Two of the accused were employees of the Govan Mbeki municipality; the other two are accused of having pulled the trigger whilst the fifth person was working as the Community Liason Officer for the Bethal Family Residence Unit. Ntshangase was shot and killed in May last year. He was known throughout the country as one of the callers on radio talkshows and never minced his words when speaking against corruption. Ntshangase was also a counsellor for the ANC and a member of the SACP Provincial Executive Committee in Mpumalanga. *A hero against corruption* Speaking to more than 500 people who attended the first anniversary memorial, Manamela praised Ntshangase for his role in the fight against corruption. Manamela also said that the YCL believed that Ntshangase was one of the many politically motivated killings in Mpumalanga, and unlike the rest, the law must take its course and if found guilty, his killers must rot in jail. “On Tuesday, go all out in your numbers to support the family and the SACP as we seek justice. That court room must be packed and put the accused to shame. We must show that the people of Bethal and Mpumalanga loved Ntshangase and want to see justice ” *Build the Alliance* Manamela also bemoaned the absence of the ANC and the Youth League at this important occasion. He spoke of the need to defend the unity of the Alliance. “The ANC, SACP and COSATU do not belong to individuals who leads them now, but they belong to the people. Those who want to break the alliance will suffer the same fate as suffered by others in Polokwane” he said. *Campaign for an overwhelming ANC Victory* He also called on every communist to mobilise for an ANC victory in the forthcoming local government election. He said members of the SACP should never wait for an invitation to campaign, but should initiate programmes to complement in election work. “There must never be a communist who campaign for independents or for the opposition, no matter how bitter and wronged. “We understand that there were many problems with the nominations process throughout the country. In some instances, people were removed from the list because they are communists. This happened even when communities nominated them. We have trust in the ANC president. When he says there is an investigation and that wrongs will be corrected, we know that this will happen. After local government elections, when we have defeated Helen Zille, it will be time for us to go back to the drawing board and remove those who smuggled themselves into the ANC list against the wishes of the community” Manamela also called on communities to hold counsellors accountable. “Counsellors must stay in the ward were they were elected. If there is a drain blockage, electricity or water cuts or any problems faced by the community, the counsellor must be there to act on these problems. “People elected you because they know you as their neighbour. Why should you move from where you were staying and opt for comfort and leave those who elected you. This is why there are service delivery protests and some ward counsellors do not detect these” The YCL National Secretary also cautioned against people whose main preoccupation is to lead not to service people, but to enrich themselves. He bemoaned the fact that many people avail themselves to become counsellors because they see it just as another job, even when they may not have the requisite skills. *We will never forget apartheid* “Many political parties, especially the Democratic Alliance, are urging young people to forget about apartheid because it belongs to the past. We will never forget apartheid. We see the signs of apartheid every day. “Some people say the ANC has not done enough to deliver for our people in the last seventeen years. This may be true, but the liberation movement has broken the shackles of apartheid, and have covered so much ground in the last seventeen years reversing the evil of white minority rule” he said. He also said that the signs of apartheid are still reflected in every facets of our lifestyle not because of the ANC, but because those who control the economy wants to maintain their grip. “If poverty, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, sanitation and many other factors of our lives are still defined in terms of race, how dare you ask us to forget apartheid and vote for the DA” he asked. “If the control of the economy is still in the hands of a few white men, why should we forget about apartheid and vote for the DA which day in and day out defends those who control the economy.” He called on communists to campaign for the political power that the ANC-led alliance has in parliament and municipalities to be used to reverse the legacy of apartheid. “What is freedom without jobs, education, quality healthcare, support for entrepreneurship and cooperatives, a share in the land and the wealth of the country? “It is nothing” he said. *The YCLSA National Secretary visit to township continues * In line with the YCLSA Elections Campaign the National Secretary will tomorrow visit Moletsane community, Gauteng Province below are the detail of his visit *Tuesday, 10 May 2011 starting at 10:00 am* 10:00am Blitz and Door to Door at *MOLETSANE*, starting at *Letjibulo Lower Primary School* 13:00pm Address YCLSA and ANC Youth League Volunteers and the community at the Lenasia Sports Complex 15:00pm Blitz and Walkabout at Thembelihle Informal Settlement, Sections D and F Media is here-by invited Issued by the YCLSA National Office Contact Mafika Mndebele (National Spokesperson) Landline: (011) 339 3621 (011) 339 3621 Cellphone: 073 574 5953 073 574 5953 Cellphone: 082 567 3557 082 567 3557 Email: [email protected] -- You are subscribed. 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