The Leadership of the ANCYL should rid itself from Malema's Legacy By Avela Mjajubana, Provincial Committee Member of the YCLSA, writing in his own capacity, 6 October 2015 It has been 2 years without the youth voice in the structures of the ANC since the dissolution of its national leadership in 2013. Some of us we are excited to see the national leadership of ANCYL and gave it all to support the leadership as it execute its task as mandated by 25th National congress. The road to the national congress was bumpy and characterized by high levels of factionalism, money politics and exclusion of certain branches with descending view from that of the dominant faction alleged to be coordinated by 3 Premiers That of North west, Mpumalanga and Free state popularly known as "Premier League". Of course this is what many comrades are used to, having started during the road to election of Julius Malema as the President of the youth league. It was all handed to the newly elected leadership to deal with the remnants of Malema's legacy in plight to restore the dignity, militancy and discipline in the structures of the youth league. Build unity and the spirit of collectivism within the operations of the youth league. Our hopes well held high when ANCYL president addressed the conference erupting offensively against what he referred to as the new culture that emerged in the ANCYL "new culture emerged at a certain era, where radicalism and militancy character of the youth league was marred with rascalism and anarchy". Amongst other things the legacy of Malema's is characterized by: His self-zest for media, Recklessness and throwing insults, Sowing division in the ANC through wedge and campaign against seating leadership, Corrosion of democracy and manipulation of ANCYL election processes. Then the president went on to admit a mistake we all made as members of the YL "we must never be afraid to say to our elders in the ANC, those whom we look upon for guidance and wisdom, that we were wrong" Could it be possible that we dealt with a dog and left the owner? Or is the incumbent emulating a legacy that we do not want to remember in the YL? Just within a month after the national congress, there has been recklessness and divisive statement issued by our leadership. After having gone through ANCYL press statement I was left flat other than being enthused and rejuvenated. Hoping for programmatic yet unifying and provocative statement only to get the divisive and factional statements, I then concluded that Malema's legacy was still found in the shelves of ANCYL offices. Instead of waging offence against the ant-majoritarian and uniting all young forces towards the implementation of its program with an understanding that unity of amongst young people and progressive forces is sacrosanct, it polarizes the mass democratic movement and isolate certain structures in the main SACP and its youth wing, if this is to continues then the future of the ANC is bleak. On allegations that the Minister of DHET has fail to deliver mere plan for free education Let me begin by a quoting one of chairman Mao educational thoughts "No investigation, No right to speak". This insinuation is half-baked and vindicates an agenda against the Minister instead: This statement further expose lethargy the leadership has as it relates to engaging documents of the ANC. The ANCYL is youth wing of ANC, the ANC that is in government and constitute majority. Decisions on the direction the Government should take are mostly decisions that have the blessing of the ANC and its allies. The ANC has resolutions on Free Education and has the plan, the one that Youth league deliberately ignore to engage The National Development Plan which was adopted by the ANC government that Nzimande is part of. Within the chapters of this document education has its chapter dedicated to. Nzimande is the ANC NEC member which when it seats the ANCYL on ex-efficio status and can express its views without addressing the press, I doubt they even met the Minister for at least frank update on the progress of ANC resolutions. The ANC long released a discussion document for its NGC due in October, this then also highlights the government progress and view of the ANC, are we this lazy or busy to engage these documents and address this question in NGC in line with that popular call of 40%? This ideal also incomplete, does not specify contents of this free education and only populist that construct slogans like this obviously not with an interest for free education but to advance a particular agenda. Reasons I conclude that this call is incomplete are: the YL does not specify what are the exact contents of this call are and what it aims to achieve, are we speaking about the monetary aspect? Or freeing education as a concept? Do we disregard the infrastructure and new universities in quest for free education? Also looking at international and domestic correlation of forces particularly and our economic main stream do they enable us the arrogance of private sector? The youth league leadership must not jump the ship without reaching destination, that call for nationalization even Maize for that matter would better assist to fund education that we all demand. Also there must be an understanding that education is also another terrain of struggle that can be used to empower masses of our people or be used as a tool to neutralize and oppress the working class which is mostly affected by this scourge hence Education must be freed as a concept from the hands of the ruling class. In waging the struggle for access to education, the youth league must speak about the curricula and education system changing from that of Tap-bucket system. The Youth league must construct a paper and present it to the ANC's coming NGC on this call with specific requirements or rather call for the review of NDP, the plan that they forget and ask Nzimande. Call for Free Education march and Unity of PYA Firstly it was Malema who said this "in the absence of a vanguard of the working class politically, ideologically and organizationally, the ANCYL should assume the role of the vanguard of the working class" a ploy to undermine and discrediting the SACP. I am of the view that SASCO has an Annual free education march, which YL has been always invited to part of. I can also confidently claim that Youth League and SASCO are in alliance, I do not know what were the engagements leading up to free education march resolution hence I am only left with questions : Would be that Youth feel that its ally should not lead the call for free education and hence it also resolved to have similar program? Or seeks to strengthen the call? Wouldn't a joint program strengthen the call? "We will mobilize our sister organizations SASCO, COSAS to join us to this march" What does this line seeks to advance wage war against YCL or neutralizing PYA components for particular agenda? On the basis that unity of PYA must be maintained not for individuals or personal gains but for benefit of the youth section in South Africa should have: Called for PYA seating to build and strengthen relations with all PYA components from branches to national level. Use this free education march to foster unity within youth and its components without isolating certain structures. It was Julius who personified ANCYL to himself and polarized next to paralyzing the PYA through undermining of other PYA components and anarchic behavior which met ideological content from both SASCO and YCLSA, this leadership of YL should desist from such and work towards building unity. Statements sowing divisive statements The youth league should also step up against Malema's remnants of sowing divisions in the ANC undermining seating leadership and campaign for leadership preferences through media houses and social media. On his closing address the ANCYL president said "A radical YL understands that the revolution cannot be laud hailed through populist slogans", the use divisive slogans particularly the KZN YL towards ANC KZN provincial congress is rather unhealthy and feeds itself in the foot prints of Julius Malema. When Julius was called into order when he undermined president Zuma over his preference the then deputy president Malema applied anarchy, Briefing the Media post ANC NEC the SG comrade Gwede mantashe warned the KZN YL leadership and the ANCYL went through the same vein as Malema did citing that SG must not interject. One thing that one learns from this is that, there is a convergence between ANARCHY and FACTIONALISM. Anarchy as defined by JV Stalin "a cornerstone of anarchism as ideology is the individual whose emancipation, according to his tenets is the principal condition for emancipation of the masses, the collective body" while factionalism follows in the same vein "a grouping in the organization that opposes any idea countering its interest" it was Anyone but zuma (ABZ) and now it's (Zika-Zuma). Throwing insults to the leadership of the SACP reveals the lack of understanding that the ANCYL have about the shared history of these two organizations, this is also an act Malema undertook. These are just few amongst the characteristic of Malema's legacy resurfacing. The ANC needs to expedite cadre development policy to ax this cancerous tendency and its remnants. The review of the election process will also be an aid. The Leadership of the Youth League should indeed rinse itself from this kind of legacy. The ANCYL leadership should focus its energy in building its structures both ideologically and organizationally. Only ideological work will assist the YL into removing this legacy and place the youth league to its rightful dispensation in the communities. There is a strange and palpable agenda advocated by this statement that we need to be vigilant about: The statement of cites a narrow dissatisfaction against Minister of HE, which happens to be General Secretary of the SACP, Dissatisfaction against NYDA which is also led by cde Y. Pillay who happens to be YCLSA Nationally Chairperson. Coincidentally (if there is such) do not mention YCLSA as one of its sister organization. Its tantamount that Apology by the President was not genuine. Hence I believe this statement is constructed along factional lines, there is a particular grouping that seeks to isolate communist on the run up to ANC 2017 national conference. It has happened before and it's happening now but one thing I am certain of it never succeeded. Playing rough is option. By Avela Mjajubana: Provincial Committee Member of the YCLSA. He writes on his own capacity. -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. 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