ANC YOUTH LEAGUE MEDIA STATEMENT IN PREPARATION FOR THE 24^TH NATIONAL CONGRESS:

The 24^th National Congress of the ANC Youth League will be sitting in 7 days' time, from the 16^th to the 20^th of June 2011. We are starting our Congress on the 16^th of June in Johannesburg, because we want to reconnect with the spirit and inspiration of the 1976 June 16 generation, which 35 years ago, confronted the murderous, racist and nonsensical apartheid regime. We will after opening Congress, go to Soweto to salute our heroes and heroines who played a very important and decisive role in bringing the apartheid regime to its knees.

All branches of the ANC Youth League were given an opportunity to convene their Annual and Branch General Meetings presided over by their respective Regional Executive Committees to discuss policy positions towards the 24^th National Congress, but also elect delegates who will represent branches in the Congress. An absolute majority of branches that went to the AGMs and BGMs passed the audit and have been granted the space to participate in the 24^th National Congress as Voting Delegates. All Provincial Executive Committees of the ANC YL will, like the National Executive Committee, be granted voting status.

Registration of voting for the National Congress happens in Provincial General Councils and has already happened with the Provinces that went to their PGC over the weekend of 02 to 04 June 2011, i.e. KwaZulu Natal, North West, Limpopo and Gauteng. These Provinces constitute majority of delegates for the National Congress, and the remaining Provinces will register on the weekend of the 10^th to the 12^th of June 2011 to give us a total number of delegates who will attend the National Congress of the ANC Youth League. We can now confirm that more than 90% of voting delegates in the 24^th National Congress will be from branches, all representing branches of the ANC Youth League across the country, with minimum membership of 100 youth between the ages of 14 and 35.

We are pleased that most of the critical policy issues which the 24^th National Congress will deal with are already receiving profound support from branches of the ANC Youth League in their respective PGCs. The 7 pillars for economic freedom in our lifetime and propositioned in the discussion document called Programme of Action for Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime are being discussed and consolidated by branches of the ANC Youth League.

Most if not all branches of the ANC Youth League endorse the view that expropriation of land and other strategic sectors of the economy should happen without compensation. This is largely in appreciation of the fact that the State which is legitimately a representative of the people cannot buy land which was stolen and belongs to majority of the people.

Other policy propositions receiving profound support in Provinces is around the question of building new cities and new areas of economic development. Young people across Provinces are expressing a view that they want to work closer to home and not forced to relocate to far-off provinces in search of economic opportunities.

The other policy position receiving huge support is around the issue of sending students to outside Universities in the world to learn, gain education, skills and expertise and come back to build a vibrant economy and South African society. This the youth of the ANC are saying is long overdue because the rate of transformation of our Universities is very slow and evicting full of potential students because of fees and other social prejudices, like racism and sexism.

The national leadership is proud that most of our branches are enthusiastically engaging on the key policy issues that are going to be tackled in the 24^th National Congress.

With regards to media participation, we would love to remind all media houses wishing to cover our 24^th National Congress that the closing date for application for accreditation is Friday the 10^th of June 2011. No member of the media who applies after the 10^th will be accredited, because we already have received more than 600 applications, majority of which we will not approve because we utilise other channels to communicate with those who will not be in the premises of Congress. On Monday, the 13^th of June 2011, all Journalists who will be approved to attend the 24^th National Congress will be requested to physically go and register for tags at the Johannesburg City Hall from 08H00 to 18H00.

Congress preparations are continuing and most ground has been covered concerning travelling, accommodation, venue and food for delegates. Discussion documents are in all provinces and those who do not have hard copies can upload from the ANC Youth League website and reproduce copies for all members to read.

Statement issued by Floyd Shivambu, ANC Youth League Spokesperson, June 9 2011

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