ANC YOUTH LEAGUE WELCOMES THE 2011 JANUARY 8 STATEMENT, PARTICULARLY COMMITMENTS OF THE ANC ON KEY ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION ISSUES, PROVISION OF FREE EDUCATION AND PROVISION OF SANITARY TOWELS:
10 January 2011
The African National Congress Youth League welcomes key components of the January 8 Statement, delivered on behalf of the ANC National Executive Committee by President Jacob Zuma on the 8th of January 2011. Amongst many progressive and forward looking acknowledgments made by the January 8 Statement is the emphasis that "Political emancipation without economic transformation is meaningless. That is why we have to commit ourselves to economic freedom in our lifetime, and the ANC must continue to be in the forefront of that transformation".
The January 8 Statement further said that, "We have to live the promise of the Freedom Charter, which states amongst others, that all our people will share in the wealth of the country". The ANC Youth League welcomes these acknowledgments and commitments because we have defined our struggle as a struggle of attaining economic freedom in our lifetime through concrete practicalisation of the Freedom Charter Clause which the January 8 re-emphasises. The historic 1st National General Council of the ANC YL was themed "Youth Action for Economic Freedom in Our Lifetime" for this particular purpose. The ANC Youth League has been saying that political power without economic power is meaningless and we are glad that the ANC accepts this analysis as a basis to transform our economy.
The ANC Youth League also welcomes the gradual introduction of free education for the poor until undergraduate level in line the ANC 52nd Conference resolution on education. On Education, the January 8 Statement commits to provision of free education for NSFAS-dependent students in their final year, if these students successfully complete their studies. The January 8 Statement further announced that all needy students in Further Education and Training Colleges who in need will be exempted from paying fees, starting from 2011. We welcome these interventions and hope that other measures will be introduced to ensure that free education is provided until undergraduate level for all academically deserving, yet poor students at all levels.
On Health, the January 8 Statement said, "We will work tirelessly to create a health system that promotes women`s health as a fundamental human right. We will promote the provision of sanitary towels to women on the indigent list of municipalities". The ANC Youth League is profoundly relieved that ultimately poor females in indigent municipalities will receive free sanitary towels and this is in line with the campaign the Youth League is leading to ensure that all needy females have access to free sanitary towels. The practicalisation of this request is a sign that the ANC deeply cares about the wellbeing of the people of South Africa, in particular poor females.
Overall, the ANC Youth League is content with 2011 January 8 Statement, including on banning of foreign land ownership, the support for Cuba and the call for an immediate release of the Cuban Five. This again confirms the ANC as "a disciplined force of the left, a multi-class mass movement and an internationalist movement with an anti-imperialist outlook".
The acknowledgements and commitments of January 8 Statement are a great inspiration to the ANC Youth League because they confirm the reality that the ANC YL is critical body of opinion in the ANC, which is listened to. In 2011, the ANC YL will intensify on many campaigns aimed at bettering the lives of our people and changing South African society for the better. All of these campaigns will be consistent with the strategic vision of the National Liberation Movement, the Freedom Charter.
Statement issued by the African National Congress Youth League, January 10 2011
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