*COSATU's response to YCL* The Congress of South African Trade Unions has noted with concern a statement by the Young Communist League, alleging that “we have witnessed unwarranted attacks on the leadership of the SACP, in particular the General Secretary, by certain individuals within COSATU and two of its major affiliates, NUMSA and SADTU”.
COSATU is totally unaware of any such attacks from within its ranks, and challenges the YCL to substantiate these serious allegations. If they cannot do so, we urge them to unequivocally withdraw these defamatory charges. We reject with contempt any insinuations which are based only on rumours or gossip. The statement further alleges that this “attack on the SACP General Secretary and the leadership and character of the Party is intended to prepare for a leadership contest at its 13th Congress planned for July 2012” and that “these individuals have constituted themselves as a faction, posing as revolutionary mouth-piece of the poor, with the intention to take over the SACP and weaken it for their malicious intents”. The federation totally reject the charge that it, or any of its affiliates, are intervening in the SACP’s leadership processes and categorically rejects the charge that any of its members are trying to weaken the SACP or constitute some kind of faction. On the contrary COSATU remains an ally, supporter and defender of the workers’ revolutionary vanguard party. We urge the YCL to refocus on the massive challenges facing young South Africans – unemployment, poverty and the lack of access to further and higher education for the poor - rather than making unfounded and false accusations against their staunchest ally, the South African working class and its leadership in COSATU. Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson) Congress of South African Trade Unions 1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets Braamfontein 2017 P.O.Box 1019 Johannesburg South Africa Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24 Fax: +27 11 339-5080 / 6940 Mobile: +27 82 821 7456 E-Mail: [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "COSATU-press". Visit this group at http://groups-beta.google.com/group/COSATU-press for archived statements. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Visit the COSATU web site at http://www.cosatu.org.za/homep.htm -- 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] .
