STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE OFFICIALS OF THE ANC WOMEN’S LEAGUE AFTER THEIR MEETING HELD IN DURBAN ON 31 AUGUST 2015

Good day, ladies and gentlemen

As the leadership of the African National Congress Women’s League, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for attending our media briefing. Since our election, we have been working on strategies to ensure that the ANCWL is relevant to issues of the day, hence we will be outlining our programmes moving forward.

Young Women’s Desk

The ANC Women’s League is proud to announce that all nine provinces have functional Young Women’s Desks as per resolution of the National Executive Committee in February 2012.  The establishment of this Young Women’s Desk was first mooted during the 2003 national congress in order to dispel the myth that that the ANC Women’s League is mainly for older women. Taking into account the demographics of our country, the majority of our people are most young people, most of them female.  It was therefore critical for the ANC Women’s League to establish this desk to integrate young women in its ranks as a foundation for the organisation’s future. 

The key objectives of the Young Women’s desk remain the mobilisation of young women to become active agents for social change, building leadership capacity amongst young women, bridging the inter-generational gap that still exists between women, drawing lessons from history to enhance the work of the ANCWL towards the attainment of their socio-economic aspirations.

This is not to imply that young women have been sidelined in the past. In fact, young women have always been part of the struggle for liberation in our country. Struggle icons such as Mama Charlotte Maxeke became activists at the tender age of 20, so what we are doing now is nothing new.  We have simply formalised what has always been there and give young people their space within the ANCWL. We want to invite young women to be part of this vibrant and progressive platform that has been created for them.

As this new leadership, we are committed to the vision of the collective that led to the creation of the Young Women’s Desk and we will work with young women to strengthen its programme of action, which is already bearing fruits, particularly for young girls in need.  We want to ensure that the emancipation of women becomes a reality for all women, regardless of age. We will achieve this by ensuring that young women, through the Young Women’s Desk, are able to confront the challenges they face, which are:

Teenage pregnancy

Violence

HIV and Aids

Economic exclusion

Lack of access to science and technology

Lack of access to education and training

We are confident that if we can successfully change the lives of young women in our country today, we will change the course of history and ensure that future generations are fully emancipated just as the women who participated in the 1956 march ensured that we live in a country where the voices of women matter.

Racism

Ladies and gentlemen, racism continues to spew forth its ugly head in the South African education sector. If one takes a look at the recent wave of racism in tertiary institutions, high schools and even primary schools, it becomes clear that those who promote it have a clear aim of undermining the gains we have made since the dawn of democracy in 1994.

The spheres of government have played their parts in terms of trying to end racism, but they cannot win this fight alone. They need assistance from the civil society and organisations such as the ANC Women’s League, hence we have decided to embark on massive protest marches to institutions which still believe in applying racism.

We welcome a new policy released by Higher Education and Training Minister, Cde Blade Nzimande, aimed at promoting integration at tertiary institutions.  We call on all tertiary institutions to implement this policy as a tool to address racism.

Our protest marches will target institutions that have made national and international headlines for racism such as the Universities of Stellenbosch and Free State.  There will be nationwide protests which will be organised by the national office and those which will be organised by our provinces.

We want to send a clear message to all South Africans and the world that racism cannot be tolerated 21 years after we attained our freedom. The ANCWL also calls on those who believe that the apartheid system of separation of races still has a place in a democratic South Africa, to change their thinking as their actions create unnecessary tensions among people of different races.

Condolences

Eastern Cape road accident

The ANCWL has received with shock the news of the passing away of 37 people in different places in the Eastern Cape.  We call upon Government authorities to ensure more safety on the roads by increasing police visibility and ensuring that vehicles using the roads are roadworthy and drivers observe the rules of the roads.  We also welcome the support offered by the Eastern Cape government to the families who lost their ones.  They have demonstrated that ours is a caring government.  We extend our condolences to the families of the victims.

Swazi maidens

The ANCWL also extends its deepest condolences to the families of Swaziland maidens who passed away in a road accident while en route to the Reed Dance.  We call upon the Swaziland people and their government to offer support to the bereaved families during this difficult period.  The maidens were the pride and joy of the nation as they were espousing the values of pride and clean living for young women.  We fully support the Reed Dance, including that is held by His Majesty, the Zulu King on an annual basis.

Cde Grizelda Cjikella-Lecholo

The ANCWL has sadly learnt of the passing away of our Provincial Chairperson and MEC for Education in the Northern Cape, Cde Grizelda “Zaza” Cjikella-Lecholo.  Cde Grizelda was a committed and dedicated cadre of our movement.  She lives a rich legacy of selflessness and dedication to fighting for the empowerment of women and the poor.  The country is left poorer with her.  We also extend our condolences to her family.  May her soul rest in peace. 

Issued by African National Congress Women’s League President Bathabile Dlamini