“Entrenching the hegemony of the ANCYL as a vibrant and ... · • An activist membership that...
Transcript of “Entrenching the hegemony of the ANCYL as a vibrant and ... · • An activist membership that...
BUILDING A STRONG CAMPAIGNING YOUTH ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIME
“Entrenching the hegemony of the ANCYL as a vibrant and militant economic freedomfighter”
The 1948 ANCYL basic pol icy document s tates the aims inter alia of the ANCYL as fol lows:
• At ra llying and uniting African youth into one national front on the basis of Africannationalism
• At giving force, direction, and vigour to the struggle for African National freedom, byassisting, supporting and reinforcing the National movement‐ANC.
• At studying the pol itical , economical and social problems of Africa and the world;
• At striving and working for the educational , moral and cul tural advancement of theAfrican youth.
1. It is clear from the above that the intention of the founders of the ANCYL was to bui ld avibrant, mili tant and a dynamic youth movement that will ral ly the youth behind thevis ion of the ANC. This generation even went further to radical ise the ANC. This wasevidenced by the policy documents and the historical campaigns that changed thecharacter of the ANC forever. The cry “Freedom in our Lifetime” became a ral lying cal lfor the youth to be active in the liberation struggle. It is therefore this character of theANCYL that must be revived and renewed within the context of organizational renewal.The process of organizational renewal i s ini tiated to renew the organisation to dischargei ts mandate as stated by the consti tution, founding policy documents and congressresolutions. The process of renewal must s trengthen the organization to be able tocampaign for economic freedom in our li fetime.
2. The preamble of the ANCYL Consti tution states the fol lowing:
3. The African National Congress Youth League was founded in 1944 as an organization ofthe Youth committed to the ideals of democracy, freedom and peace, i t is governed andadheres to the policies and programs of the ANC, and i ts exis tence i s derived from theconstitution of the ANC. The Youth League is a mass youth formation of the ANCcommitted to the creation of a non sexist, non‐racia l, democratic and a prosperousSouth Africa .
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4. It shall ral ly all the youth of our Country to play an active part in the s truggles of thecommunity and in the building and defence of democracy. In doing so the ANCYL shalls trive to achieve fundamental social change for the benefi t of all young people. It shallendure to unite the youth of our country to take their rightful place in the affairs of thecountry. The Youth League has over the years organised young people to play a cri ticalrole in the struggle for liberation culminating in the democratic breakthrough of 1994which opened up opportunities for the democratic government to advance the NDR.
5. It is this campaigning capacity of the ANCYL that we must revive in all s tructures of theorganization. From our branches, regions and provinces, the organization must bevibrant and dynamic as a leaving organism. Organizational renewal must heal the cancerof seasonal branches ; revive the manner in which our s tructures operate, from beingmeetings only structures to being poli tical forums and campaign s tructures . With theinfluence of information technology in society, the Youth League should be moreinnovative, creative and dynamic without eroding organizational cul ture to be able tomobilize the youth of today. The youth league must effectively utilise the creative ta lentand knowledge that exis ts within i ts membership to be able to influence society.
6. Organizational renewal must also s trengthen the organization to be able to implementcongress and meeting resolutions . The renewal process must enable the organization toeffectively use modern technology to strengthen the campaigning machinery of theorganization.
A CAMPAIGNING ORGANISATION
7. A Campaigning organization has the fol lowing features but not limited to:
• It’s a mili tant representation of i ts own consti tuency.
• Is the one that works together with youth civil society organizations on issue basedprojects and on sectoral campaigns .
• It’s an organization that has daily and weekly programs that involves its membership.
• A campaigning organization should be comprised of an activist membership that i s readyto volunteer i ts services in all sectors of society. It must be a membership that is readyto campaign on all community issues. An activist membership must be found in allsectors of society, non‐governmental organisations , sports federations , communitydevelopment forums etc.
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• An activist membership that will spend i ts time, li fe and dedicate itsel f in the service ofthe people.
• A campaigning organization is a weapon in the hands of the people and the youth in ourcase to change the material conditions of the poor.
8. An organization whose interest is to serve the people and champion the socio‐poli ticalinterest of the youth in society at large.
• The Imvuselelo campaign is an ANC campaign aimed at building strongand vibrand ANC branches,which are capable of providing leadership toall sectors of the population and which are visible in communitydevelopment efforts and struggles at ward level.
• The 52 Polokwane National Confenference resolved that the Imvuselelocampaign will intensify branch work in each community,to ensuresustainable mass work and establish ANC branches as vanguard of theircommunities,and to make branches the focus of political and ideologicalwork for cardreship of the movement.
• The campaign’s primary target is the membership and branches of ourmovement and it finds expression through dynamic contact with themasses of our movement.
9. In recognition of i ts history of campaigns and the des ire to renew i t, the ANC resolved toimplement the Imvuselelo Campaign:
• The Imvuselelo campaign is an ANC campaign aimed at building strongand vibrant ANC branches, which are capable of providing leadership toall sectors of the population and which are visible in communitydevelopment efforts and struggles at ward level.
• The 52 Polokwane National Conference resolved that the Imvuselelocampaign will intensify branch work in each community, to ensuresustainable mass work and establish ANC branches as vanguard of theircommunities, and to make branches the focus of political and ideologicalwork for cadreship of the movement.
• The campaign’s primary target is the membership and branches of ourmovement and it finds expression through dynamic contact with themasses of our movement.
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10. Broadly, the ANC Youth League should seek to renew itself within the context of theImvuselelo Campaign as it is aimed at rebuilding the structures of the movement.Branches of the ANCYL should use this opportunity to rebui ld i ts interaction andconnection with the youth. Mass mobilisation should be the cornerstone of theorganisational activities complemented by the productive intel lectual discussions thatseek to influence society. These ideas should never be about who should be deployed orlead structures , but should forever be located within a poli tical programme. With theYouth League poli tical programme being that of Economic Freedom in our li fetime,whatever the organisation does should be aligned to this programme.
11. The ANCYL serves as a preparatory school for young members and leaders , byharnessing their energy, innovation and enthusiasm in the transformation process. As amass movement of young men and women, it should also provide young activis ts withpractical experiences of mass work, problem solving and services to the people. Inaddition i t should mobilise and champion youth interest in the ANC and broader society.
12. It is through creativi ty, innovative campaigns that the ANCYL must maintain its massbased character and its dynamic role in society.
THE BEST OF WHAT THE ANCYL STANDS FOR
13. The African National Congress will be celebrating i ts 100 years of exis tence in 2012. TheANC’s 100 years of existence is a celebration of a dynamic organisational growth,development and renewal which was neither homogeneous nor constant in poli ticals trategies and ideological stances that were taken to adapt to evolving history. Thedurability and sustenance of the ANC happened because it was able to re‐adjust andadapt to various objective and subjective conditions in its historical development andgrowth. The role of the ANC YL, which was launched 32 years after the launch of theANC i s undeniably profound and contributed immensely to many features that definethe ANC to this day. Organisational renewal, growth and development of the ANC YouthLeague should therefore be understood within the character and politics of the ANCbecause the ANC Youth League is a poli tical wing of the ANC.
14. At i ts formation in 1944, the ANC Youth League was not only pos itioned to mobil iseyoung people behind the vis ion of the ANC, and championing their interests , theCongress Youth League (earlier reference to the ANC YL) was rather positioned as aformation determined to give new impetus, radicalise and energise the African NationalCongress into a fighting force for people’s l iberation. The ANC Youth League’srelationship to the ANC is his torically more of a poli tical relationship than apaternal/maternal relationship, clearly defined more by poli tical programmes andstrategies which sought to give the ANC new energy. The League was never a juniorcongress , but a pol itical youth wing of the ANC, with profound influence on i ts direction.
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15. The ANC Youth League’s 1944 Manifesto and 1948 Programme of Action went a longway in re‐shaping and revolutionising the poli tical, organisational and ideologicalcharacter of the ANC. Only five years after i ts formation, the ANC Youth League was ableto influence and change the ANC into a fighting l iberation movement with clearlydefined ideology, strategies and methods of engagement. This happened againstmassive opposition from the ANC leadership, which sometimes bel ieved that the ri se ofyouth mili tancy would compromise the earl ier character of the ANC of peacefulres istance, deputations and peti tions with the hope that the colonia l masters will showgoodwill and allow rights and freedoms to civil ised black people.
16. It is against this background that the renewal perspective should s trengthen the ANCYLto perform its his torica l task of being a militant campaigning youth movement. It mustdiscuss and develop concrete posi tions on the following aspects of organisationalgrowth and development:
• Character of the ANC Youth League and i ts relationship to the ANC;• Autonomy of the ANC Youth League; • Organisational Democracy; • Organisational discipline; • Organisational development and growth; • Poli tical education; • Poli tical programme of the ANC Youth League.
17. It i s important to make precise politica l reflections on organisational renewal in order topoli tically, organisationally and ideologically prepare the ANC Youth League for therevolutionary poli tical programme i t will pursue in the present conjuncture and timesahead. This generation of young activis ts have defined the poli tical programme as thatof ‘Youth Action for Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime’. The struggles for atta inment ofeconomic freedom in our lifetime i s not empty rhetoric, but a poli tical programme thatrequires resolute, very fi rm and decisive individual and collective efforts of al l ANC YLmembers and structures . Organisational renewal should therefore be understood withina pol itical programme of economic freedom in our li fetime.
18. Again, to carry this revolutionary programme the ANCYL must capture the imaginationof the ANC and convince its s tructures that this i s meant to achieve the tota lemancipation of our people. Unlike in 1949, the ANCYL today uses the Freedom Charter,which the ANC has adopted, as a guiding document to i ts perspective. This must happenthrough rigorous and fearless engagement with the ANC at all levels , and the workingstrategy i s for the ANC YL to signi ficantly engage with regional s tructures and branches .
19. As argued somewhere, the ANC is the s trategic centre of power. For effective andfundamental al teration in the ownership of the means of production in favour of thehistorically oppressed black majority, the ANC YL must place the ANC at the centre ofthis programme. As a ruling party and leader of progressive forces i t would enact laws,adopt progressive policy in government and mobilise all the social forces to support theprogramme of action. The ANC YL must posi t a militant and radical programme of action
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at the doorstep of the ANC, as the las t massive onslaught on apartheid legacy and thevis ible change in the ownership patterns of the economic power in the country.
CHARACTER OF SA YOUTH
20. The advert of colonialism, capitalism and apartheid in South Africa has subjected youngpeople to adverse pol itical , social , cultura l and economic conditions which define theirexistence. Capita list oppress ion and patriarchy lineation and ideological domination bythe bourgeoisie (through cul ture, education, media, and rel igion) suppressed theirpotential for development. Even though young people have always been a social strataof South African society, they have been overlooked and control led by governmentsthat had l ittle intention in advancing their well being. They experienced abject poverty,restricted and segregated access to education, social degradation and brutal oppressionof their potentials by the system and their communities. The Apartheid government didnot develop specific pol icies or programs to address the equal development of youngwomen and men.
21. However from the earl iest decades of the last century young people have assertedthemselves by forming youth organizations, protesting against injustices, fighting forbetter education and better li ving conditions.
22. As the old Apartheid order was being destroyed, and the transition to post apartheidSouth Africa was clearly i rreversible, key is sues that the South African youth has had tograbble with were:
• Levels of politica l mobilization of young people;
• The growth of youth development discourse;
• The ins titutionalisation of youth development;
• The reorientation of the progressive youth movement;
• The weakening of the progressive youth sector; and
• The development of significant youth culture, identity and expression.
23. Youth is a dynamic social construct which i s characterised by youthful energy,enthusiasm, ambition and creativi ty. In modern day society many observers havedescribed the youth as poli tical born frees , ayoba generation, consumerist and
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materialistic. Recently a study has said the youth as a social construct i s a segment ofthe population that is violent, unruly and indiscipline.
24. On the contrary the high turnout of young people in all the previous elections andrecently the National elections show the level of consciousness amongst the youth andtheir appreciation that the ANC is the only organization that can address their socio‐economic challenges. Their enthusiastic support for the World Cup has also shown thepeople of the world that South Africa has a largely young caring population. This youththat constitutes the majori ty of our population i s mostly influenced progressively, andcontinues to stand on the s ide of change. Majori ty of the youth is more determined toresolve the challenges existing in our society.
25. In broad outline, as reaffi rmed by our fi rs t ever NGC, key i ssues that define thecircumstances of the South African Youth today are:
• High levels of youth unemployment and the exclusion of the youth from the mainstream economy;
• Alcohol and drug abuse;
• HIV/AIDS;
• Education;
• Sports and recreation;
• Nationalisation of mines ;
• Generational mix in all sectors of society;
• Cultural identity.
26. Thus Marx and Angels sa id that, "thoughts were not passive and independentreflections of the material world, but products of human labour, and the contradictionsof our thoughts had their origin in the contradictions within human society”. Themanner in which the youth think and behaves as a social factor has i ts origins fromsociety. The youth’s thinking and consciousness i s largely influenced by societalconditions . For us to build a campaigning organization, we need to clearly understandthe character of today’s youth as a dynamic social construct. We need to campaign toaddress youth issues and social ills in general.
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CHARACTER OF THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE ANC
27. The his tory of the African National Congress Youth League is undeniably arevolutionalising history of South Africa . The young and dedicated activists whogathered at the Bantu Men's Socia l Centre on the 10th of September 1944 to launch theANC Youth League subsequently became the true and dedicated revolutionaries whoaltogether changed South Africa 's politica l atmosphere. When the foundinggeneration of the ANC YL proclaimed FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIME in 1944, few peoplehad the hope that there was a possibility that ultimately, black people and women inSouth Africa will gain the freedom, rights and independence to choose a government oftheir own and collectively define their poli tical, social and economic destiny. Theformation of the ANC YL radically reshaped the methods of struggle against oppressionand gave new energy to the enti re ANC led National Liberation Movement.
28. The ANC YL was formed to supplement, consol idate and give new impetus to thestruggle against racial oppression as championed by the ANC. Although presented as ameans to mobilise young people behind the vision of the ANC and mobilising theirinterests, the formation of the ANC Youth League was more about a concrete poli ticalintention and programme to radicalise the ANC within i ts original objectives of unitingthe black majori ty and Africans in particular. Somewhat, the ANC Youth League’spoli tical strategies and tactics towards the ANC were entryist due to the real ity that incharacter, the ANC has accepted pacifist methods of mobi lisation without offending theil legitimate colonial government, which excluded the black majori ty. At the outset, theANC Youth League acted not as a subordinate of, but as a body of opinion in the ANC,and this feature was elementary to its success in reshaping the character of the ANC.
29.Within the first five years of i ts formation, the ANC Youth League was able to decisivelyinfluence the ANC to adopt a more radical, forthright and confrontational poli ticalprogramme which fundamentally transformed the ANC into a mass mobilisationmovement and campaigner against racial segregation and economic subjugation. Thishappened against a backdrop of serious poli tical and ideological resis tance from withinthe leadership of the ANC. Almost the enti re leadership of the ANC was convinced thatANC YL sponsored radical decisions and s teps in changing the character of the ANC wil llead to its downfall . The extent of resis tance to the pol itical programme was notinsignificant because the then (1940s) incumbent ANC Pres ident General A.B. Xuma andSecretary General James Calata, both of whom had played a cri tical role in the renewalof the ANC after what was understood as ANC organisational decay under PresidentPixley ka Isaka Seme; did not agree with the ANC YL proposi tions for radica l politica lrenewal and action.
30. Former ANC Youth League Secretary General, Comrade Duma Nokwe who was electedANC Secretary General when he concluded his term as ANC YL SG at the age of 31 madethis observation in a 1946 perspective titled “Problems Facing the Youth Movement”. Inthat perspective, Comrade Duma Nokwe says, “From 1944 to 1949, the Youth Leagueconcentrated on working out African Nationalism, cri tici sing the old methods of s truggleof deputations and resolutions to the Government, and tried to impose a mili tantoutlook. This culminated in the adoption of the Programme of Action at the Annual
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Conference of the A.N.C. in 1949”. He further acknowledges that, “The ANCYL played animportant part in the adoption of that programme of action. The salient features of theprogramme were mass politica l actions , in the form of boycott, national days of protest,and civi l disobedience”.
31. The transformative 1949 ANC Conference had to elect a relatively inexperienced andyoung leadership of President James Moroka (who had just joined the ANC) andSecretary General Walter Sisulu (aged 37) because the older and more organisationallyexperienced generation was unable to adjust and adapt to the new s trategies andtactics proposed by the Youth League to fight racia l oppress ion and segregation. The1949 Programme of Action led to the Defiance Campaign, which goes into his tory as oneof the most successful campaigns to be led by the African National Congress. Recallingthe fruits of the Defiance Campaign, E.S. Reddy says , “The Campaign generated a massupsurge for freedom. The membership of the A.N.C. increased from 7,000 to 100,000during the campaign and it became a truly national organization of the people. TheCampaign also led to the formation of the Coloured People's Congress and theCongress of (white) Democrats, and then a "Congress Alliance" which played a crucialrole in promoting multi‐racial resistance to apartheid in subsequent years”.
32. If the reading of history was mechanical, i t could be simplistically deducted that thetransformation of the ANC into a truly national organisation of the people, and theformation of the alliance are direct consequences of the formation of the ANC YouthLeague in 1944. Yet history evolves in far much complex and systematic rea lities thanthat, because the combination of prevailing material conditions of that period and thesubjective determination of the founding leadership of the ANC Youth Leaguedialectically cal led for decisive action and defined history. Certainly, the passage of timespelled a different tra jectory with regards to how the Youth League relates to theAfrican National Congress, yet notably the ANC Youth League’s founding generation’scommitment to “freedom in our lifetime” took practical shape and was led by thatparticular generation.
The overall assessment and understanding of the character of the ANC Youth Leagueand i ts relationship to the ANC is that i t has been more of a poli tical than amaternal/paternal relationship. The notion of being a preparatory school of the ANC isout of this analysis of history because the young founding generation of the ANC YouthLeague did not jus t see themselves as leaders of the revolution in the distant future, butas agents of change in the present, willing to make all the sacri fi ces for a progressiverevolutionary pol itical programme. The best preparatory programme in anywayhappens within a robust poli tical programme and actions , not through blind observationof older leaders and what they did.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ANC WOMEN’S LEAGUE
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32 Both the ANC Women’s League and Youth League are integral s tructures of the ANCallotted specific tasks in the Consti tution of the ANC, to mobilise the women’s and youthsectors respectively behind the programme of the ANC.
However, the YL as a mass organ of youth i rrespective of their sexual orientation servesas the training ground for both the ANC and the Women’s League. The membershiprecords of the YL indicate the growth in numbers of female members , these meansyoung women are in majori ty in the organisation. These put the YL in a position tomeaningfully contribute in the building and s trengthening of the Women’s League.
It should also be the ambition of the young women to fill the ranks of the WL to ensurei ts future survival . The YL should not be ashamed to discuss and be concerned about thefuture of the WL, and it ca lls that the YL should be preoccupied with the tasks todetermine future leadership of the WL.
33. The best preparatory programme in anyway happens within a robust poli ticalprogramme and actions , not through blind observation of older leaders and what theydid.
AUTONOMY OF THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE
34. The Consti tution of the ANC Youth League says “The ANCYL shall function as anautonomous body within the overall structure of the ANC of which it shall be an integralpart. It shall be based on the political and ideological objectives of the ANC”. The ANCConsti tution supplement this and states that, “The Youth League will function as anautonomous body within the overall structure of the ANC, of which it will be an integralpart, with its own Constitution, rules and regulations, provided that these shall not be inconflict with the Constitution and policies of the ANC”.
35. The Constitutions of both the ANC and ANC YL as reci ted are giving a form of autonomy,but not independent relationship between the ANC YL and ANC. The autonomy of theANC Youth League is a vi ta l poli tical relationship, which can never be reduced to aConsti tutional relationship and sacri fi ced in the course of the revolution. Autonomy ofthe ANC Youth League i s not a by the way i ssue, but a revolutionary organisationalpractice which if ignored, could undermine the impetus and energy that young peopleshould impact in any radical poli tical, economic and social change of society.
36. The autonomy of the ANC Youth League and genera lly young people in all revolutions i selementary to a revolution’s progress and success . Revolutions are by their very natureactivi ties of young people, and marginalising young people merely into a preparatory
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arrangement within revolutionary movements stifles the pol itical and ideologicaldevelopment of such movements. History proves that almost all i f not all nationalliberation and revolutionary movements that do not have autonomous youthformations degenerate into insignificance with the passage of time. So reducingautonomy into a constitutional matter without poli tics i s a pol itical blunder withmassive consequences. That is why the autonomy of the ANC YL to formulate novelideological and political tactics within a broader s trategic vis ion should forever beprotected. Autonomy of the Youth League should not jus t be reduced to organisationalautonomy of organising own meetings, but not taking own decisions. It shouldfundamentally mean the right of the Youth League to formulate independent political,ideological and strategic perspectives in the cause of struggle and independent capacityand ability to robustly advocate for such perspectives .
37. Addressing this question, the early 1990s ANC Youth League Provis ional NationalCommittee said in a perspective that was subsequently adopted by the KwaNdebele re‐launching congress in 1991 that, “The youth can only effectively participate in theliberation of our country and get involved in the building of a democratic South Africaon the basis of the totality of knowledge and experience handed over to it by oldergenerations. At the same time young people should not be encouraged merely tocopy or assimilate what is handed over to them. They should do that through aninvestigative and critical approach. Real education in struggle on the part of the youthcannot be separated from their independent political involvement. A profoundappreciation by the youth of the democratic ideals we are fighting for is betterconsolidated if verified by their independent experience in struggle. Autonomy of theLeague offers the opportunity for the realization of the boundless resources of energy,enterprise, initiative and free application of the creative potential of our youth”.
38. This observation is so profound and should, as the May 2010 National ExecutiveCommittee of the ANC Youth League resolved, be disseminated and taught to al l leadersof the ANC. Education around autonomy of the ANC Youth League should beprogrammatically intensified so that all activists and leaders of the ANC internalise thisprinciple, not for the sake of it, but for the durabili ty of the revolution and i ts ideals.
39. Those who argued for the formation of the ANC Youth League in the early 1940s ,notably former ANC President Joshua T. Gumede, argued that the YOUTH LEAGUE hadto be formed because that was the only way to make the ANC li ve forever. By i ts verynature the ANC Youth League has to be youthful, re‐energize and radicalize the ANC andthose who are opposed to its ideals should never be tempted to liquidate the ANCYouth League, nor destroy its leadership. It does many things , some of which wouldcause consternation and discomfort to the older generation.
40. Many generations before this generation defended the autonomy of the ANC YouthLeague and this generation owes it upon these generations to protect and defend theautonomy of the ANC Youth League. This generation of Youth League owe it upon thegenerations of Walter Sisulu and subsequently Peter Mokaba to defend the autonomyof the ANC YOUTH LEAGUE. A possible respond to the 1940s ANC Youth League ca ll fordefiance of the apartheid system could have been disciplinary action against the Youth
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League leadership, but its autonomy allowed space for measured discussion which tookthe ANC forward. When former Presidents Robert Resha and Nelson Mandela ca lled forarmed struggle, it was not policy of the ANC, yet they were al lowed space to ask whythe ANC had to take armed struggle. In al l efforts to defend the autonomy, i t should beunderstood that autonomy of the ANC YL is a poli tical matter.
ORGANISATIONAL DEMOCRACY
41. Organisational democracy is fundamenta lly the culture of broader and equalparticipation in organisational decision making process. This includes equal rights for al lmembers to elect and be elected in all structures of the organisation. This democracyfurther includes the rights and obligations as provided for in the Consti tution of the ANCYL. In the Congress movement, the organisational democracy is understood within thefol lowing principles , contained in a 1997 discussion perspective of the ANC onOrganisational Democracy and Discipline:
• Elected Leadership;• Collective Leadership;• Consultation; • Powers of National Congress ;• Mandates, Accountabili ty and Reporting; • Cri ticism and Sel f Cri ticism; • Democratic Central ism.
42. It is important to highl ight that this perspective on organisational renewal is going backto basics to re‐assert the principles of organisational democracy because of thechallenges the ANC Youth League is facing. The autonomy expatiated above should beexercised within these principles of organisational democracy.
43. Elected leadership refers to the principle and practice that says , Leadership of the ANCYouth League i s elected at all levels , and re‐elections are held at regular interva ls.Within this principle, an emphasis should constantly be made that no single individualmust become i rreplaceable. In addition, elected leadership can be reca lled before theend of their term of office if they are not disciplined. Members , according to theConsti tution, have a right to take part in elections and be elected to any committee,s tructure, commission or delegation of the ANC League.
44. Collective leadership refers to the principle that ANC YL has leadership collectives ,instead of a single leader, at al l levels of organisation ‐ BECs , PECS, the NWC and theNEC. The constitution sets out the powers of each of these s tructures and they areexpected to operate as a collective. This means that there must be continuous andongoing consultations on matters affecting the ANC YL. In addition, it means that allmembers must take respons ibility to explain and ensure the implementation ofdecisions taken by these collectives. Collective leadership also means that leadershipskills, experience and knowledge must be shared.
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45. Consultation refers to the reali ty that the s tructures of the ANC Youth League are set upin such a way that i t allows for meetings at regular intervals. The ANC YL branch i s thebasic unit of the organisation and membership participate through monthly meetingsand branch Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Furthermore, branches are representedat other structures of decision‐making such as regional and Provincial Counci ls andConference and, finally, at the highest decision‐making body of higher s tructuresthrough a system of ex‐officio representation at all levels of the ANC YL. For example, al lprovinces and Leagues have representation on the NEC.
46. Consultation i s not an end in itself. We have consultations to ensure that there ispopular support in the ANC YL for certain decisions and policies and are able to explainthem to others and to the publ ic in general . Consultation is also part of ensuring that asa liberation movement we remain true to our calling that our people should shape theirown destiny, and that the ANC YL i s the correct vehicle through which to do this.
47. Powers of National Congress means that the National Congress of the ANC YL i s thehighest decis ion‐making body of our unitary organisation and can rati fy or change anydecision or policy adopted by s tructures at other levels. National Congress consis ts ofmandated individuals from all consti tutional s tructures of the movement at all levels oforganisation. That is why we have discussion papers before Congress , general meeting,PGCs and other forums to discuss issues and to elect our delegates to Congress .
48.Mandates, Accountability, Reporting speaks to the rea lity that in the context of theabove, our organisational structures should provide elected members with mandates toguide them when they represent us in various structures of the ANC YL and elsewhere.When we elect Youth Development Officers , MPLs , MPs or counci llors, we should havepolicies and broad strategies for how we want to transform a particular sector, and therole our cadres should play and combine towards this process .
49. This i s not to say that we do not encourage individuals deployed to express their views,nor that those elected to leadership posi tion. All members of our organisation areexpected to think for themselves, to be able to raise and debate their ideas at any time,and to be able to take initiative to further the goal of our s truggle. We expect leadershipto lead our movement, ensuring that we respond to chal lenges and that we implementour programmes. However, when there is a need to change in s trategy or policy, weexpect leadership and elected representatives to consult and get fresh mandated on thenew direction.
50. Criticism and Self‐Criticism refers to the fact that ANC YL does not bel ieve that any ofour members are beyond cri ticism. Our movement and our strategies are also notbeyond cri tici sm. This means have regular evaluations, questions must be asked andconstructive criticism encouraged. We must also have a cadetship and leadership whoare humble and prepared to li sten to constructive cri ticism. Part of being a cadre alsomeans an ongoing process of sel f ‐cri ticism, evaluation, learning improving ourstrategies , tactics and policies as a movement.
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51.Most of us would broadly accept the above. However, the challenge is to integrate thisunderstanding into the work of our constitutional s tructures. For example, should theNEC, PECs , RECs have, at least once a year, a session built into their regularconstitutional meetings to assess themselves as leadership col lectives and the strengthsand weaknesses of individual cadres who serve on these collectives?
52.Democratic Centralism is derived out of the fact that the ANC YL is a unitary andnational organisation. Its operations are guided by the principles of democraticcentra lism which includes the following:
53.Decision of the majority prevailAfter debate and discussion on a particular issue in the correct s tructures , a decision istaken which is binding on all members of the ANC. Even i f an individual has motivated orvoted for a di fferent pos ition, that individual will have a responsibili ty to implement anddefend the decision that has been taken. This approach presents a number ofdi fficul ties . One of the central problems with this approach i s the following question:
54.Decisions of higher structures bind lower structures.As a unitary organisation, this principle appl ies. Because of this there is the provision forex‐officio representation of lower structures in all higher structures in all higherstructures of the ANC. The NEC i s the highest decision‐making s tructure betweennational conferences and therefore has the overa ll responsibility of ensuring thatconference resolutions are implemented, that the constitution is upheld, that i t leadslower structures and maintains the character, discipline and unity of the ANC YL andthat national interests are balanced with sectoral and geographical consideration andinterests.
55. Responsibility of leadership and cadresThe nature and character of the ANC YL means that cadres and leaders must take theirresponsibilities and rights seriously. For example, leadership collectives at al l levelsoften have to take decisions in the interest of the movement which may be unpopular.A leader who is part of such a collective has the responsibility to understand themotivations for such decision and explain it to the membership and the publ ic ingeneral.
This also means that leadership col lectives must be in touch with popular sentiment inour structures as wel l as with public opinion. In this way, when decisions are taken, themovement can take along i ts support base and not make errors of judgement whichmay backfi re.
Cadreship must display strength of their convictions to raise matters and problems inforums where they have the opportunity to do so, even i f this may ri sk individualpromotion. The interest of the organisation must be placed above sel f‐interest.Leadership, on the other hand, must ensure that there is a climate that allows for theopen debate and raising issues and deal with victimisation should this arise. Theresponsibility for the democratic character of the ANC is the responsibility of bothleaders and cadres .
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Our cadreship and our leadership must strive for personal attributes such ascommitment, dedication, loyal ty, respect for others, modesty, incorruptibi lity andcri tical , independent thinking. Overa ll, the membership of the ANC Youth League shouldbe schooled in these principles and forever be expected to li ve through them.
56. The ANC Youth League should consti tutionalise principles of organisation, moreespecially the essence of the ANC Youth League as a unitary organisation. This will go along way in guaranteeing the sanctity of the ANC Youth League being unitaryorganisation, which adheres to principles of organisational democracy. As much asrights and obl igations of members are constitutional, the principles of organisationaldemocracy should also be included in the consti tution of the ANC Youth League.
ORGANISATIONAL DISCIPLINE
57. The most outstanding acknowledgment in the ANC and entire national l iberationmovement i s an observation that “Discipline is a weapon of struggle andtransformation. It does not exist for its own sake, but to safeguard the unity of themovement, ensure that it is able to fulfil its historic mission and achieve itsobjectives”. This is so profound and goes to the heart of our organisational va lues andprinciples, because all our objectives and political programme can be undermined i f weare not ready to exercise maximum discipline.
58. As a poli tical matter and again going back to basics, discipl ine enta ils that all membersare able to adhere to the principles of organisational democracy and adhere to all theConsti tutional obligations outlined in the ANC YL Constitution. Al l ANCYL members areobliged to:
• pledge their unswerving loyal ty to the ANCYL and place themselves under i ts overa lldiscipline;
• carry out decisions , duties and directives with diligence;• organize, participate and contribute posi tively to all ANCYL activi ties and to contribute
to the strengthening of its organic unity;• ra lly all youth to support and unite behind the ANCYL and actively participate in the
creation of a united, non‐racial, and non‐sexis t. democratic and prosperous SouthAfrica;
• protect the ANCYL and i ts property at all times by exercis ing maximum vigi lance;• exercise discipline and exemplary behavior at al l times and maintain harmonious
relations with all members of the ANCYL and the community in general;• combat all forms of tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, and other forms of discrimination
based on race and sex as wel l as combating factionalism and malicious gossip within ourranks ;
• initiate and participate in activi ties aimed at promoting international solidarity, peaceand social Justice;
• every member of the ANC Youth League above the age of 18 shall be obliged to join theANC.
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59. These principles and obligations have got to be re‐emphasized because members tendto take them for granted and treat organizational process and protocol as somethingthat i s a side issue. At all times, members should be guided to respect and abide bythese obligations.
60. As a broad principle, organisational discipline means that members of the organisationshould not engage themselves in divis ive and factional activi ties . This should not bemisunderstood as meaning that members should not canvass and lobby each other ofpoli tical, ideological and leadership matters of the organisation. Members shouldappreciate that once decisions are taken and once leadership i s elected, lobby groupsbecome factions, which do not have interests of the organisation.
61. The matter of factional ism should be addressed because lobby groups in theorganisation are getting ins ti tutionalised with various names, budgets, paraphernalia ,coordinators , Lawyers and meeting venues . In most instances, the budgets for factionalpurposes and activities exceed the budgets for normal organisational work. It isconspicuous ly very di fficult to draw a thick line between a lobby group and a faction,but at organisational management level , certain issues should be guided so that they donot seem like acceptable practices in the movement. This includes a completeil legalisation of factional materials and paraphernalia being used in organisationalmeetings . It should be punishable for members to wear or display factional materialssuch as t‐shirts , caps, posters in organisational meetings at all levels.
62. These kinds of factional offences should be dealt in a s tandard way across all branches,regions and provinces of the ANC Youth League. The National Executive Committeeshould issue out guidelines , including a minimum sentence of how branches shouldadminister disciplinary process of members who wear and/or display factional materialsand paraphernalia in organisational gatherings . This approach is necessary and avoids asi tuation where one member would be given a harsher sentence, whils t the other gets alighter sentence for s imilar offences .
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH
63. In the present conjuncture, both qualitative and quanti tative organizational growth anddevelopment is elementary and should never be discounted. The founding generation ofthe ANC YL maintained and sustained a relatively smal ler organization of intel lectualswith profound capabi lity to influence the African National Congress. The conjecture weare li ving in requires both quality and quanti ty because our noble ideals should betranslated in actual numbers with regards to support for our programs and ultimatelyelectoral support for the ANC as a politica l party in a multi‐party state, and the characterof today’s youth as a dynamic social construct.
ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN
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64. The task of rebuilding ANC YL after unbanning has been done paral lel to the structures
of the ANC. We have always followed the real ignment processes in the ANC. Pres ident
Nelson Mandela described challenges the ANC was facing during the rebuilding process
as fol lows: “The ANC is emerging from the shadow of 30 years of underground exis tence
and is engaged in establishing i tself once more as a lega l politica l movement. The
problems relating to this transition are innumerable. We have been obliged to
reconstruct the organization from the smallest loca l branch unit to the National
leadership structures during a period of very rapid change and high expectations in our
country. That the process i s uneven should not dismay us or alarm us . That i t is fraught
with new and unique chal lenges was to be expected. That we do not all see the
problems in the same l ight was inevitable given the deferring s trands of experience that
shaped our membership, from its leading bodies to the branch level”. The post 1994
period also witnessed a vibrant youth organization seized with an agenda to seize,
advance and accelerate the opportunities of democracy. We created s tructures of youth
development and mobilized the youth to focus on bui lding a new society free from
apartheid injustices organized around our wel l‐defined program, the RDP.
65. It is high time we review our organisational s tructure in l ine with our s trength. Unlikemany structures of the ANC, s tructures of the ANCYL are mostly constituted ofunemployed youth who cannot afford to attend organizational work, meetings, ra lliesetc due to the cost involved. This can be attributed to the fact that while we share thesame boundaries with structures of the ANC, the ANC and its leaders are betterresourced than members of the ANCYL to execute organizational programs but we areexpected to service the same boundaries.
66. This challenge affects all our structures from Branch level . These challenges affect usbecause we must do more on poli tical education. Our structures must therefore bemore creative to find ways of financing our organizational campaigns .
67. The phenomenon of seasonal branches has opened space in society where the youthstart violent service del ivery protests without any poli tical guidance from the ANCYL. Asa direct response to the above mentioned chal lenges a model of an ANCYL branchshould:
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• be primary organ for maintaining direct contact with the youth where they li ve, at alocal level . They serve as the organic nexus between the ANCYL and the youthcommunity, between the membership and leadership s tructures of the movement;
• The mobi lization and poli tical education of our youth rests squarely on the shoulders ofour branches. In the post Apartheid context, a s trong ANC YL branch is both a school ofpoli tics where members are tra ined into community leaders and agents for communitydevelopment;
• It should serve as an information centre for the local youth;
• It should serve as a creative centre for innovative ways of campaigns and new songs.
• It should serve as direct contact with community based NGO’s , Social Clubs and Sportsteams within i ts locali ty;
• It should be vis ible in all community campaigns throughout the year and not only duringelections and congresses.
68. The critical question that faces us as we review the twenty years since the re‐launch ofthe ANC YL i s whether the democratic breakthrough changes have improved theorganizational capaci ty of the ANC YL at local level to give effective leadership of themotive forces , put differently have the s tructural changes of the ANC YL branchesenhanced our capacity to unite and serve communities effectively.
69. We need to campaign for intergenerational mix in al l s tructures of society. Youngpeople must lead Sports Federations , Social Clubs, NGO’s, Companies etc. The youthmust be in the fore front in all social and economic s truggles in this country.
70. The other organizational challenges that we need to phase and debate is thefunctionality of our committees . All MDM s tructures are having a challenge of non‐functional committees. Comrades only attend NEC, PEC, REC and ful ly branch meetings .The above si tuation can be attributed to various factors l ike misunderstanding ofcommittee roles by committee members, unwillingness to attend, resource constraints .In many ins tances i t is resource constraints as members must attend committeemeetings and deployments . We have to tackle the resource constrains challenge i f weare to implement organizational programs and comrades must commit themselves toimplement programs of the organization.
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71. Most branches of the ANC Youth League tend to l imit membership (gate‐keeping) andrecruit only up to 100 members or a little bit above that. They do so because they wantto avoid si tuation where they will not reach quorums for Constitutional Branch andAnnual Genera l Meetings of the ANC Youth League. This tendency works against thecharacter of the organization as a mass youth movement and the leader of the youthgeneration. The perpetuation of these seeks to ki ll the hegemony of the organizationand the broader appeal it should enjoy in the community of youth. There should be away to al ter this phenomenon because many young people want to join the ANC YL, butcannot because they are kept outside for quorum purposes by branches .
72. As an immediate solution to this problem, perhaps the 24th National Congress shouldamend the Constitution to say that quorum for al l Constitutional meetings will be 50members plus 1, even for branches that have members above 100. This wouldencourage branches to recruit hundreds of members into the organisation and broadlyprepare them for membership of the ANC and loyal ty into the movement. This wouldalso avoid the question of gate keeping for purposes of reaching a quorum.Alternatively, the minimum number of members per branch can be increased to 200,with a quorum of 100 plus 1 member.
73. These are some of the considerations that should be made as a way of setting the stagefor the quanti tative expansion of the organisation. It should be emphasised that thematter of proposing quorum to be 50 members plus 1, even in ci rcumstances wheremembership of a branch i s above 100 is not to shy away from the legi timate role thatbranches should do in mobilising members to meetings. It is an appreciation that bytheir very nature, young people are not static and they frequently engage in many othereducational and social activities that require them to relocate or utilise their spare timefor various other engagements .
74. The emerging middle class majority of which is located in the s trategic centres of theeconomy i s critical in the overa ll development and transformation of the economy. TheYL must be able to engage and define the tasks of this section cons istent with ourdevelopment paradigm.
75. With South Africa ’s growing middle class most of them being young peopleprofessionals like, Doctors , Lawyers , Engineers , Entrepreneurs etc, the ANCYL i s phasedwith a challenge to recrui t them into the organization and ensure their full participationin organizational programs. Their ski lls and experience could be used on many policydiscussions and platforms that the youth league is dealing with on regular bases.Secondly, the recent elections outcome in urban areas where there i s a black middleclass should serve as an indicator of our declining influence, there i s a rapid growth ofan unconscious middle class.
76. This middle class has also endured di fficulties and il ls of apartheid that have exposed thedepth at which transformation in this country should go. What has come to the fore andconfronting this section of the youth is the deep racism that still inherent or exist in theprofessional bodies and the continuing deliberate denial of opportunities perpetuated
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by the dominating white males. There is an indirect job‐reservation for the white youthin practise here, i f not there i s lack of upward mobili ty for the black young professionals .The professional bodies deliberately pursue professional exams that are unreasonableand expensive to deny the his torica lly disadvantaged the opportunity to register asprofessionals. We need to have targeted campaigns that speaks to the interest of theseyoung lawyers , doctors , engineers and many other professions, fi rs tly our target shouldbe to transform the professionals bodies and seek to change their working conditions.We need to recrui t them into our ranks through regular meetings and campaigns intheir sectors of interest and encourage them to contribute meaningfully in expandingthe frontier of the most scarce skills. Our campaigns should also be targeted to thechi ldren of the above mentioned professionals and the affluent groups leaving in the upmarket suburbs ’ and security estates.
77. The ANC YL should also broaden i ts focus on various sections of young people who couldparticipate in the organisation. It should expand to active mobi lisation of religious youthand consider the creation of rel igious youth desk to coordinate this activi ty. In a similarmanner that the Youth League organises the Young Women’s Assembly, there should beefforts to organise religious assemblies for young people in order to enhance andharness the organisation’s appeal to religious youth in all our s tructures .
78. As part of expanding the kind of membership the ANC Youth League recrui ts in society,there should be a cons ideration of allowing membership application through theInternet. If such i s agreed upon, potential members could be allowed to apply formembership through the internet and only get admitted as members after they havebeen referred to their Branches for formal acceptance and payment of membership feesin person.
79. Youth league structures should also look at institutionalising certain campaigns byforming NGO’s , Cooperatives or establishing partnerships with community basedorganisations in line with a particular campaign, for example an NGO for unemployedyouth that will train the youth on different skills, and other means of creatingemployment.
80. The ANC Youth League should develop practical efforts to mobilise young workers ,particularly casual workers working in the various industries. Most young workers arehired through labour brokers and spread across restaurants, hotels, chain s tores ,ai rports, construction companies, securi ty companies and many other sectors as casuallabourers . The ANC Youth League should develop a focused programme which mobil isesthese young people and raise their concerns in a more effective way.
81. Another important component of mobi lising youth should be what most ANC YouthLeague structures did during the 2009 General elections . In the elections , new methodsof mobi lisation were adopted, such as Rides and Braai , Bikers , Mini Coopers, Chi llSessions, etc. Most of these activities were complimented by attendant trendy
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paraphernalia with organisational branding. This kind of mobi lisation should not onlyhappen during elections, but should be adopted for ANC Youth League rall ies and otheractivi ties. This keeps the ANC YL in constant touch with young people across all spectra.
82. The ANC Youth League should also infi ltrate and effectively uti lise the new platforms ofcommunication and interaction in society, the social networks such as facebook, twitter,mixit, etc. These platforms are at times utilised to undermine organisational principlesand processes , yet the ANC Youth League should in a regulated manner utilise socialinteraction platforms to spread its messages and information. These are new platformsand forms of communication in as much as webs ites and e‐mail were when they began.
83. Our liberation struggle has taken the form of an African tale, characterised by song as ameans to mobilise society and our people into war and victory. This i s an inheri tancethat cannot be left unattended without a proper perspective on how to protect andsustain i t. It consti tutes part of the monument of pride to our people and reminds themof their effort and sacri fi ce to liberate the land of their forefathers .
84. Fi rs tly, there is a need for a comprehensive protection and defence of this heri tageagainst the attempts of the reactionary forces to deface and delegitimise the strugglesof our people against colonial oppression and apartheid segregation. Secondly, as wecelebrate the Centenary of the National Liberation Movement, the ANC, we must seekto remind ourselves of the war of engagement with forces of oppression through oursongs and enhance them as instruments of mobi lisation to express the demands oftoday. The ANC community and members s ing songs of praise, bravery and those thatexpresses the progressiveness of our agenda. Demeaning and reactionary songs do notbelong to our ranks . Our his torical songs shall be sung without l imit, li ke our battle todeclare any area said to be a ‘no go area’ to be a free zone for all.
85. Another cri tica l component or organisational management that requires revision is thewhole question of expanding and clearly defining the roles of sub‐regions and zones .With the approval of Zones and sub‐regions as per the 2008 Constitutionalamendments, the ANC Youth League should consider granting RECs moreresponsibilities and status within organisational gatherings . This would additionallyentail granting regional Chairpersons and Secretaries ful l ex‐officio status and votingrights in National Congresses and extending ful l ex‐officio status and voting rights toregional top five officials in all Provincial Congresses. This should be expanded andresolved in clear guidelines.
86. As argued somewhere in the document, the capacity of the ANC YL to implement andexecute i ts decisions is a matter of concern. The fol lowing is what is proposed toeffectiveness of the organisation to ensure the rea lisation of the objectives of Congressresolutions. May be the ANC YL must consider:
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• Making increasing the number of National Working Committee members whoare full time, especially the Deputy Secretary‐General, Secretary for YouthDevelopment, and introduce Secretary for Projects and Campaigns or make thewhole National Working Committee full time, specifica lly to increasesupplement the capacity of provinces and regions in the execution of theprogramme; or
• Propose to make Regional Secretaries to be full time officers of the organisationat that level to lead and complement the work of Regional Organisers , andmanage the organisation on daily basis.
• YL in provinces and regions must have designated offices properly furnished withworking computers and telephone, e‐mail and internal mail network that l inksregions, provinces with national office to ensure smooth transmission ofmemorandums and letters between offices .
87. Previous Congresses of the ANC Youth League have adequately dealt with the questionof multi ‐capping in the organisation through consti tutionally forbidding members tohold more than one pos ition in the organisation. This was consti tutionally captured inthe Constitutional clause that says when elected to an upper structure; those serving inlower structures should automatica lly res ign their positions in the lower s tructures . Thisprinciple should be developed to say that those serving in upper s tructures shouldautomatical ly resign their pos ition once they accept nomination for election into lowerstructures . This will avoid members of upper structures contesting leadership in lowerstructures with guarantees that they wil l be reta ined in the upper s tructures , whichamongst other things carry the responsibility of overseeing the politica l andorganisational work of lower structures.
88. The principles advocated for in the paragraph above should be advocated for in theAfrican National Congress to ensure that ANC leaders are not conflicted in the roles theyplay within structures of the organisation. Another leadership principle that the ANCYouth League should constitutionalise i s that of automatic resignation from ANC YouthLeague structure if an executive committee member of the Youth League is elected asan official in the ANC structure on the same level. This means that a BEC memberelected into the top five of the BEC of the ANC should resign their pos ition in the YouthLeague if they are also in the BEC of the Youth League. This will assis t the ANC toconstructively relate to the ANC Youth League, but also al low space for leadershipprogression within the organisation.
POLITICAL EDUCATION
89. Poli tical Education is the li feblood of the organisation and should forever constitute theday to day activi ties of the ANC Youth League. It is an objective rea lity that anyrevolution that does not reproduce its ideas i s bound to fai l. All ANC Youth Leaguestructures should standardise politica l education into their mainstream programmesand constantly ensure that al l members have a proper grasp of the poli tics of theAfrican National Congress.
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90. Branches of the ANC Youth league should forever learn and teach themselves about thepoli tics of the ANC Youth League, the ANC and the alliance. Even in ins tances wherethere are limited resources , branches should convene to discuss the Consti tution of theANC Youth League and share amongst members, their interpretation of ANC YLConsti tution.
91. Poli tical education for members should not be l imited to organisational theory only,there should begin to be sessions on soft ski lls and other empowerment educationalcontent that i s given to members . Members should be given information and educationon how to apply for jobs and how to speak in public, make presentations and variousother important components which will contribute to personal developments. ANCYouth League regions and branches should organise Career development programmesto guide members on career options and various other opportunities offered by theState, private sector and civi l society.
92. The National Executive Committee should intensi fy education on organisationalmanagement for provincial and regional leadership to increase their understanding ofal l organisational management matters . This programme should necessarily includeeducation on is sues relating to membership fi ling, audit, induction of members , andorganising. This is very important because matters of organisational managementshould not be fa ltered, particularly that our recent past his tory has demonstrated thatorganisational mismanagement has potential to disrupt poli tical work in regions andprovinces .
POLITICAL PROGRAMME OF THE ANC YOUTH LEAGUE
93. Organizational renewal, growth and development should forever be understood with aclearly defined political program. The emphasis on organization democracy anddiscipline i s not the ultimate end, but methods and amour that should guide and helpthe ANC Youth to atta in its objectives . The ANC Youth League’s 1948 Basic Pol icyDocument made a clarion cal l that, “poli tical democracy remains an empty form withoutsubstance unless i t is properly grounded on a base of economic and, especially,industrial democracy”.
94. The poli tical program of the ANC Youth League towards the centenary of the ANC issummed up as that of attainment of “ECONOMIC FREEDOM IN OUR LIFETIME”. Thissimply means that all the economic clauses of the Freedom Charter should be givenpractical meaning and implemented in our l ifetime. The people shall share in thecountry’s wealth should not jus t be a clarion call , but should be turned into a concreteprogram, which includes Nationalization of Mines , banks , monopoly industries and landredis tribution. Perspectives in that regard are developed.
95. The Freedom Charter has envisioned the Opening of the Doors of Learning and Culture.Our key historical demand which we still grapple with today i s access to qual ityeducation by al l the children of South Africa. This means a deliberate effort on the partof the state to provide free and compulsory education for all with intention to ensurehigh levels of l iteracy and numeracy as the basis to eradicate poverty and
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underdevelopment. The ANC YL shall not fa il to rea lize the full implementation of thePolokwane Conference resolution, for i t would have failed the aspiration of the youth ofthis country.
96. The campaign to build a healthy society and promotion of healthy li fes tyle fl ies in theability of the state to provide basic health infrastructure to al l. The youth population isconfronted with a variety of fatal diseases, which i f not attended early have thepotential to decimate the future nation. The ANC YL must campaign for at once theimplementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme as a means to ensure accessto health faci lities by all . Secondly, it must lead in awareness campaigns on HIV andAids, cancer, abuse of alcohol , teenage pregnancy, access to sanitary towels for youngwomen and better food.
97. This generation of the ANC Youth League carries a responsibility to defend the FreedomCharter and ensure that all its aims and objectives are realised and implemented. Effortsto undermine the meaning of the Freedom Charter should be i solated from the ANC,and should not even be supported for leadership responsibilities from within theorganisation. This is a matter the ANC Youth League should not be ashamed of becausereality is that the ANC requires determined and ideologically clear adherents andproponents of the Freedom Charter to take us forward. Those who continue to accountto imperialist forces should be isolated from the organisation because they havepotential to undermine our future.
98. What members should appreciate is that all the issues we are ra ising on economicfreedom in our lifetime are elementary to the success of the revolution and continuedsupport for the ANC by the masses of our people. This program constitutes our futureand we should do everything to defend the principles because this generation wil linheri t the ANC which cannot blame past injustices for massive inequalities andsuffering of our people. Our generation wil l have to take ful l responsibility on whyyoung people do not have jobs and why there are no proper houses for al l our people.
99. So in summary, atta inment of economic freedom in our l ifetime means that we shoulddo everything we can to make sure that the ANC government utilises the mandate ofthe people to realise all the economic clauses of the Freedom Charter.
THE PRGRESIVE YOUTH ALLIANCE
The first ever NGC of the ANCYL has directed us to revive the Progressive YouthAlliance. We need to critical asses the current political conjecture and put forwardconcrete proposals for a vibrant PYA.
100. Our strategic and tactical perspective derives i ts political and strategicorientation from the Freedom Charter.
101. We should be conscious of the fact that the question of the Youth All iance andits functioning i s essentially about consolidating and deepening the NDR throughensuring that the alliance acts as a united and coherent force to face all the challenges.
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Let us quote Cde OR Thambo in this regard from his pol itical report to the Kabweconference in 1985: “We must act as a vanguard force, the repertory of collectiveexperience of our revolutionary masses in their struggle for National liberation. Wemust be organized to act as such”.
102. Throughout his tory and since i ts conception the PYA has evolved into a platformof the mobi lization of various youth sections/organizations behind the NDR.PYA as aforum(alliance) of all progressive youth formations in the country has been able tomobilise youth across different sections of society behind the struggle againstapartheight.
103. Guided by a common vision of the achieving the entire freedom charterobjectives the PYA should continue to mobilize youth behind the transformation (task ofbuilding a new society) and youth development. Broader sections of youth and societyin genera l should be continuously mobi lized behind the vision of economic freedom inour life time. A vis ion for the attainment of all the freedom charter objectives .
104. Congress must emerge with programs that will reaffi rm the ANCYL as the leaderof the PYA. The ANCYL must provide s trategic poli tical direction to the PYA. The ANCYLmust ensure that there are programmatic relations through mass based campaigns inthe PYA.
REVIVAL OF MASUPATSELA
105. Masupatsela has played a crucial role in the past to empower young children onthe cul ture, va lues and poli tical direction of the ANCYL and the ANC. Research hasproven that early chi ldhood development is a key to the future educational success ofyoung children. Kids today are exposed to a lot of technological materia l like the powerstations, you‐ tube and many others which do not conscioutise them at an early stage.We therefore have to revive the young pioneers’ movement from the age of 8 to 13years to develop cadres at an early age, teach them the values and the mission of theANC and the ANCYL, inculcate the spirit of patriotism, prepares the young ones to swellthe ranks of the ANCYL.
CONCLUSION
106. Organisational renewal, democracy and discipline should forever be understoodwithin a poli tical programme and not depoliticised into a programme of building strongbraches without a concrete poli tical direction and programme. The ANC Youth League’sfounding generation possessed adequate and decisive clarity on what the poli tical andideological direction of the ANC should be, yet had limitations with regards toorganisational structures on the ground. Their massive influence was amongst others
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grounded a proper comprehension of the poli tics of liberation and adaptation toevolving his tory.
107. The most important component about the founding generation of the ANC YLwas that they did not treat themselves as a junior league or pre‐school arrangement ofthe ANC. The founding generation appreciated that as young people; they had a cri ticalrole to play in the ANC and were therefore a decisive cri tical body of opinion in theAfrican National Congress. Such characterisation and understanding of the ANC YouthLeague gave i t the mass ive influence it had on the direction of the ANC and reshaping ofSouth Africa ’s history.
108. The current generation of the ANC Youth League has to carry on with thestruggle of realising the entirety of Freedom Charter objectives. The most importantweapons for such a struggle are ideologica l/political clari ty and the abi lity to marshal aquanti tatively and qualitatively expanded organisation. This should be characterised bya thorough comprehension and adherence to principles of organisational democracyand discipline. The tasks ahead of this generation are not insigni ficant and deeperunderstanding of the character of the African National Congress and its concomitantprogramme, the National Democratic Revolution.
109. In his ca ll to the Nation to make South Africa ungovernable through RadioFreedom OR Tambo said the following: “let us therefore mobilize and march together ineven greater unity towards freedom. At all times we must expect that the enemy willrespond with greater repression. We must withstand this campaign of terror with thesame determination that we have displayed over so many months . But more, we mustdefeat campaigns that are aimed at undermining us and raise our s truggle to higherlevels. Our watchword must be organization, mobilisation and s truggle. All our peoplemust be mobilised into action. Al l our people must be organised for action. All ourpeople must engage in the struggle. This ca ll by Tambo remains relevant even today inthat we need our members to be engaged in al l our s truggles. As our s truggle is againstwhite monopoly capital , they will throw all kinds of propaganda against ourmembership and leaders , in certain ins tances take them to Court .We must campaign tobuild a better society.
110. Now i s the time for the youth of SA to be organised to face the enemy usingmodern weapons of war.
111. END END END END END END
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Source Reference documents:
• ANCYL Basic Policy Document• ANCYL Consti tution• ANCYL Branch Manual• 21st ANCYL congress documents• 23rd ANCYL congress documents• 1st ever NGC of the ANCYL documents• Problems of the youth movement (1956) Duma Nokwe• Umrabulo number 33,2nd quarter 2010• Umrabulo number 31• Mpumalanga 2010 congress organizational report• Gauteng 2010 Congress politica l report
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