*YCLSA Gert Sibande District Press Statement* May 06, 2013
*YCLSA Gert Sibande DEC Statement * The Young Communist League of South Africa [Ufasimba] in Gert Sibande held its 6th Plenary Session of the District Executive Committee (DEC) of the 5thCongress on 01 May 2013 in Msukaligwa Council Chamber in Ermelo. As part of its task of implementing its 5th Congress resolutions and giving practical effect to its theme of “*Advancing working class power through revolutionary Praxis*” the DEC reflected on a number of political and organisational developments and took a number of important resolutions. *South African Communist Party Provincial Congress* The meeting noted and welcomed the decision by the 10th Provincial Conference of the SACP on 6-9 April District to award the District the Florence Matomela award for the best performing structure of the SACP in the Mpumalanga Province. The DEC concluded that this award was in recognition of the sacrifices made by its successive leadership collectives across all levels in the District. *Swaziland Solidarity Campaign* Noting the recent spree of arrest of activists in Swaziland, the DEC resolved to intensify its international work and to strengthen relationships with progressive political organisations working towards the democratisation of Swaziland. The DEC resolved to support the call for the release of SACP activist Cde Amos Mbedzi who is serving a 85 year sentence in Swaziland for his political work. As a point of departure Cde Amos, must be transferred to a South African prison so as to be closer to his own comrades and family. The YCLSA is calling upon the ANC lead government to intervene, as it has done in cases of citizens languishing in foreign prisons, on this important matter as we believe that Cde Amos is a political prisoner and not just a criminal. *Bomber Ntshangase Assassination Case* Noting the decision by the Bethal Magistrate court to remove Cde Bomber Ntshangase’s murder case off the court roll, the YCLSA has resolved to seek legal opinion and to lead a campaign to mobilise other progressive formations to ensure that the assassins who were arrested and their handlers are brought to book. We will never rest until justice is served on the Cde Bomber Ntshangase case. *N17 Tolling* The DEC has also taken note of the arrogant and criminal manner in which the tollgates on the N17 were erected following the upgrade of the road, which connects Johannesburg to Swaziland and cuts across the length Gert Sibande District. The three tollgates within the district’s boarders, with a combined fee of R65, have been erected on a stretch of road no more than 100km in length. These tolls have been erected on a single regional route used for daily commuting with no alternative route available. This action by SANRAL forms part of a broader liberal malaise, which seeks to privatise public goods and service. While we acknowledge the need to develop public infrastructure SANRAL and its shareholder must also find creative ways, like using fuel levies and windfall taxes, to finance these programs without inappropriately taxing working class communities and their quality of life. The YCLSA will be embarking on a campaign demanding the scrapping of these toll fees, until such a time alternative routes are made available. *Samora Machel University* The YCLSA also noted and welcomed progress made in so far as phasing-in the launch of a University in Mpumalanga. The YCLSA has noted the negative regionalism which has accompanied the process of the University. Noting this phenomenon and informed by the need to position this university as an institution to promote regional integration and African solidarity, the YCLSA will be submitting to the Department of Higher Education, after its call for suggestions, that the institution be named the Samora Machel University. We are calling on all progressive structures and South African to support the call to have the university named after the socialist FRELIMO leader whose life and death are integrally linked to the province of Mpumalanga. *Abuse of Phezu koMkhono Campaign* In January 2013 the Gert Sibande District Municipality (GSDM) launched the Phezu koMkhono program. The program was initially conceived following resolution of the 2011 Gert Sibande Youth Summit, which called for the creation of capacity within the municipality and the implementation strategic insourcing of certain functions instead of issuing of tenders for basic functions like road and park maintenance. We are however extremely concerned about how this program has been implemented. Following the recruitment of more than 300 young people into program, there has been a series of administrative blunders which have resulted in the non-payment of salaries and cancelation of contracts. We are also calling for all parties involved in the Phezu-KoMkhono Program to run this program transparently and to communicate promptly on issues related to this important project. As the YCLSA we will be following up on leads suggesting that these seemingly innocent mishaps are in fact part of the effort to covertly discredit this program by those who had something to gain from tenders which were cancelled. We will consider submitting a complaint to the Public Protector if these issues are not resolved and young people continue to be exploited. *Quality Education Coalition* After assessing reports coming from the annual YCLSA ran Joe Slovo Right to Learn Campaign and broadly assessing the challenges facing the education system nationally and contextualising those locally; the YCLSA has resolved to call for a Gert Sibande Quality Education Summit. The summit is meant to bring together progressive organisations in education (SADTU, COSAS, NEHAWU, YCLSA and ANCYL) in order to integrate the different programs of actions of the respective organisations. *Suspension of SACP Spokesperson* The YCLSA has taken note of the suspension of the SACP Spokesperson, Cde Mduduzi Zulu by the ANC lead Msukaligwa Local Municipality, where he is employed. We have learnt that he was suspended following comments he made in his capacity as the SACP Spokesperson. As the YCLSA were find this decision by the municipality, arrived at without any consultation of the SACP, to be indicative of the unacceptably poor relations between the ANC and SACP. We once again caution the ANC in the Region from taking a paternalistic posture to dealing with the SACP. Let it be reminded that the SACP is an independent political party which enjoys happens to enjoy a fraternal yet symbiotic political relationship with the ANC. We call on the Municipal manager to unconditional withdrawal of the suspension and for an urgent bilateral between the SACP and ANC be convened to deal with the political ramifications of this and other related matters especially as we prepare for the 2014 General Elections. *ANC 2014 General Elections* The YCLSA in Gert Sibande notes the massive challenge ahead as we prepare for the 2014 General Elections. Cognisant of the increased prominence placed on new voters termed the “born frees” by the liberal media and their importance as an indicative marker of the approval of the performance of the ANC government, Ufasimba has committed itself to form part the ANC electioneering machinery. We call on all young people to take the responsibility to defend the gains made and to commit themselves to advancing the noble aims of the Freedom Charter by voting for the ANC come 2014. *District Council * The YCLSA will hold convene its first District Council of the 5th Congress on 15 - 16 of June 2013. The council will be will be convened as part of an effort to reflect on the political and organisational work of the District. It will also be in preparation for the upcoming National Council that will be taking place in Kimberly from 27- 30 June 2013. Issued on behalf of District Executive Committee. For more information contact: Sibusiso Mbuli YCLSA Gert Sibande Spokesperson Cell: 084 844 8407 Or Sandile Khumalo YCLSA Gert Sibande District Secretary Cell: 083 675 4863 -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. 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