Thanks for posting this but comrade Matankana, it is always helpful, and it is polite to give "attribution", i.e. to say where it comes from.
In this case, I think it was Politicsweb. VC On 23 November 2011 10:32, matankana mothapo <[email protected]>wrote: > Malema's misguided militancy > Thembinkosi "Guerrilla" Zondi > 22 November 2011 > > Thembinkosi Zondi says the claimed ANCYL constitutional amendments are a > fiction > > *Misguided Militancy is Suicidal&Counterrevolutionary: Genuine Economic > Freedom Fighters Unite!* > > Perhaps, I should firstly acknowledge that the issues that I am about to > raise here were supposed to be dealt with in formal structures of the ANC > YL. However given the fact that the political and organisational situation > is abnormal as signalled by a desperate assertion that "gloves are off", my > intervention could equally be viewed as abnormal. > > Having said the above I should state that this article's main argument is > that misguided militancy, as displayed by what Lazola Damase correctly > termed "petit bourgeois economic freedom fighters", is not only suicidal > but it could also militate against a genuine second phase of the National > Democratic Revolution. > > This phase is all about translating political freedom to bringing > sustainable food on the table, decent jobs, free and efficient basic health > care, crime free society and free (in terms of fees and freeing the > curriculum content from ideological biasness) and compulsory education. In > summary, this phase is (in) famously referred to as economic freedom in our > lifetime. This is a very serious and relevant phase. > > What makes a genuine call for economic freedom in our lifetime to be more > relevant is that while our ANC led government has achieved a lot but there > are time-ticking bomb socio-economic challenges that needs to be addressed > as a matter of urgency. For instance, 1 in 10 Africans are malnourished, 1 > in four African children are undersized, around less than 45% of the total > South African population lives on less than US$2 a day. > > Additionally, the *SA Stats Mid-Year 2010 Population Estimates* noted > that out of approximately 49, 9 million people in South Africa, almost 18 > million of these are between the ages of 14 and 35. The National Treasury > document on Confronting Youth Unemployment also observed that that the > unemployed youth are generally less skilled and inexperienced with > virtually 80% having no formal or tertiary education, whilst two thirds > never worked. > > Accordingly, the above stats make a call for a genuine economic freedom to > be relevant. Hence genuine economic freedom fighters must unite to defend > the long term goal of our struggle. The failure to rise up and fight > against "petit bourgeois economic freedom fighters'" with a double agenda > would make mockery of the very same second phase of the national democratic > revolution that they ostensible claim to be advancing. > > It is important to mention that the second phase of the struggle is not a > creation of the current leadership of the ANC YL. The reason behind this is > that the careful reading of both the history and the theory of the South > African revolution would indeed confirm that economic freedom has always > been a long term objective of the struggle. However the national question > and national reconciliation including the unfavourable global and domestic > balance of forces meant that there must be a strategic compromise on the > radical agenda. > > It is a serious political indictment to note that even the most > theoretically clear comrades have fallen trap to this glaring misguided > militancy that would not only erode the core values of the African National > Congress (a leader of our revolution). By the way, it was the late Harry > Gwala who, during the era of 1976 uprisings, correctly argued that while > militancy of young people must be welcomed but misguided militancy is not > only suicidal but it is also counterrevolutionary. > > Cde Joel Netshitenzhe almost said the same thing when he correctly > reminded us of the old maxim that revolutionary sounding slogans can at > times be counterrevolutionary. The basis for this warning from these two > struggle icons is that any revolutionary agenda must be informed by a > careful analysis of material conditions prevailing at the time and rules of > engagement must be a guide. > > This means that any revolutionary action/s must not undermine the core > values and principles of the African National Congress that has stood the > test of times. These values and principles include: unity of tribes, > respect for leadership, humility, self-respect, constructive criticism, > democratic centralism, self-criticism, elected leadership, mandate and > UNITY AND COHESION. > > It is these principles and core values that should guide any militancy and > revolutionary action hence some comrades would talk about > revolutionary-disciplined militancy. This type of militancy takes into > cognisance the core values and principles of the mother body (ANC). In > fact, misguided militancy and the manipulation of congress resolutions are > not only counterrevolutionary and suicidal but it also undermines our core > values and principles. > > For instance, the claim that the 24th National Congress of the ANC YL > resolved that the YL is a vanguard of the working class and that > Constitutional amendments included a clause preventing disciplinary > outcomes of the ANC apply *mutatis mutandis *to suspended members of the > ANC YL. Since I was sober as a judge, I can confirm the first issue was > discussed and rejected and the second one did not even arise at the plenary. > > For argument sake, even if it did some of us would not have allowed > excitement and our principled initial genuine support for Juju to cloud our > objective understanding of rule 7.4 of the ANC Constitution which correctly > provides that *"the Youth League will function as an autonomous body > within the overall structure of the ANC, of which it will be an integral > part, with its own Constitution, rules and regulations, provided that these > SHALL > NOT be in conflict with the Constitution and policies of the ANC".* > > Simply put, the ANC Constitutional is the supreme law under which all its > Leagues must conduct its business including Constitutional amendments. This > therefore means while enjoying a certain degree of autonomy but they are > not independent from the ANC. For instance, this will mean that even the > question of disbanding lower structures must be informed by established > core values and principles. Hence it is out of order for higher structures > of the Leagues to wake up from a ‘political power and otherwise hangover' > and disband lowers structures that are fully functional and have both > political and organisational growth like KwaZulu Natal. > > By way of conclusion, it is also part of misguided militancy at its best > form to justify current deliberate acts of ill-discipline and defiance of > our ANC on the basis of past mistakes committed on the rough road to > Polokwane 2007. The failure by some former aspirant communists- who are > now diehard Youth Leaguers- to read the forever changing material > conditions going to Bloemfontein vindicates the view that indeed political > consciousness does not bid farewell when it leaves you. Finally, genuine > economic freedom fighters must unite and defend the ANC and what it stands > for! > > *Thembinkosi "Guerrilla" Zondi, Moses Mabhida Region's KZ221 ward 3 ANC > branch Secretary writing in his personal capacity. * > > -- > 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. 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