*Ruth First memorial lecture report back* * *
August 6, 2011 The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] hosted a Ruth First memorial lecture in Mangosuthu University of Technology, about 500 young communist League members attended the event which was scheduled to start at 18h00. In their numbers the students were singing and dancing celebrating the life and times of comrade Ruth First at around 18h00 in red T-shit the National Secretary of the Young Communist League, Comrade Buti Manamela entered the hall, his entrance was met with more songs and dance, comrade who were surely in their jovial mode welcomed him with songs. *Ruth First the revolutionary intellectual* ** With out any further delay the Chairperson of the session comrade Dumo called the National Secretary into the podium, where comrade Buti Manamela delivered one of his most powerful and thought provoking speech, on which he laud the role of comrade Ruth First in the struggle for freedom and socialism. Comrade Ruth First was praised for being an astute intellectual who’s involvement in politic was influenced by her parents. She entered the world which was dominated by men and proved to be one of the most trusted cadres of our movement. Comrade Ruth First distinguished herself from most of her comrades through her love for education and writings. Her dedication and adore to the cause of socialism made her to be the enemy of the Apartheid security agents, which sent her a parcel bomb that ended her life. *Education must fashionable * ** The National Secretary called upon all students to be like Ruth First and dedicate them selves in their books, ‘no YCLSA member must be a student for ever, you cannot be a young communist and study a three year degree for seven year, that is a waist of tax payers’ money. Many learners will be writing their matric examination soon with the hope of becoming university students, let us not close a space for them, drugs and alcohol are not fashionable, but education is said Manamela to applause. *The ANC flag * ** Manamela also spoke about the protest outside Luthuli House which saw people burning the posters with the face of the General Secretary of the Party comrade Blade Nzimande and the T-shit baring the face of the ANC President comrade Jacob Zuma. The worse thing to him was when people whom he characterised as thugs burned the ANC flag. *The flag of the ANC is an embodiment of what the ANC stands for, the ANC flag is a reflection of what had taken people out of Apartheid. The protest outside the ANC implies that people were protesting against the ANC, the movement of the people the national liberation movement*. If there is one thing that the protest achieved was to corrode that of what ANC stands for, that House (Chief Albeit Luthuli House) was named after one of the most revolutionary President of the ANC, why march to that place in the first instance, against who was the protest directed, why burn the ANC flag? Buti Manamela reminded comrades that during apartheid comrades were arrested for merely being found in position of the flag of the ANC, soldiers of the MK burned the Apartheid flag as the sign of protest. In Libya the rebels first burnt the National flag as demonstration of their unhappiness with the regime. The question should be posed that those who were protesting against the ANC and even burned the flag of the ANC are they indicating that they no longer like the ANC are they say they want regime change in South Africa? Manamela gave a long lecture over the importance of us respecting the Party symbols as our barge of pride. He told students about stories and experience of some ANC and SACP cadres who were sentenced because they were in position ANC material. *Corruption * ** Corruption and the use of drugs was also strongly criticised by the National Secretary of YCLSA, He argued ‘if Manamela is said to be corrupt, he must prove his innocent in the court of law, please do not come and support me and say it politically motivated I must explain my wealth, you can’t be using racism and any other dirty trick, you must explain your source of wealth’. People who were involved in corruption were singled out as the main cause of divisions in the organisation. He said those in position of authority have been now and again using their offices to amass wealth for them and their friends. They have also used their political positions to command those in administration of government to give them tenders otherwise they will be removed. He equally highlighted the fact that education is important, for the lack of education makes people to use their position to get their worth through wrong means. Education still remains the fundamental tool of assisting our nation from the current challenges that the nation is faced with. *Polokwane Congress* ** In the run up toward ANC congresses branches of the ANC upon evaluating the state of the organisation and assessing the political balance of forces elect people who are equal to the challenges faced by the movement to lead an organisational program. The branches of the ANC elect ANC leadership not individual, thus people must not blackmail leadership for patronage. In Manamela’s words ‘the fact that you shouted the most toward Polokwane does not mean the leadership owes you. You can not want to elect people you will control and pull by noise that is in correct’ *Conclusion * * * The National Secretary also highlighted many YCL ten youth demand program which is inclusive: · Decent jobs and a living wage for all workers including young workers · Free education for all from pre-school to tertiary education · Basic services for all · The provision of good quality treatment, care, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS · An end to the abuse of women and children · Lowering the pension age to 55 for all women and men in order to create work opportunities for young people · Extension of child support grants to cover young people to the age 18 · The extension of the school feeding scheme to high schools · Nationalisation of all land for productive economic use by landless communities targeting jobless young people: and · Public ownership of all mineral wealth Again the lecture was closed with songs. Issued by YCLSA For more information, please contact Mafika Mndebele (National Spokesperson) Landline: (011) 339 3621 Cell phone: 073 574 5953 Cell phone: 082 567 3557 Email: [email protected] -- *"I Khaya Xaba promise to live as the Great Lenin bade me"* -- 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] .
