ANC YOUTH LEAGUE DISAGREES WITH THE OBSERVATIONS OF COSATU GENERAL SECRETARY ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS:
06 April 2011
The ANC Youth League disagrees with the remarks and observations of COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on the upcoming Local Government Elections. In his address to the NUMSA Bargaining Conference, Comrade Vavi said that "We [ANC] are going into elections with our tails between our legs. With our backs to the wall, because we have lost 1,17million jobs and 5,8million families are plunged into poverty". In the same address, the General Secretary of COSATU further said there is a possibility that we might soon call someone President Zille (see Times report).
The ANC Youth League does not agree that the ANC will go to local government elections with its tail behind the legs, because contrary to what is implied, the ANC has done exceptionally well with regards to service delivery. The ANC has provided water, electricity, roads, sanitation, houses and many other basic services to millions of people over the past 5 years.
Whilst we all accept that there is a problem of unemployment, it is wrong to blame unemployment and retrenchments on the ANC government, particularly at local level. The ANC goes into the local government elections with its head very high because we have fulfilled more than 80% of the promises made in the 2006 Local Government Elections.
The General Secretary of COSATU should understand better than anyone that job losses that occurred because of the world economic recession cannot be blamed on the ANC, but on many other factors that are beyond the ANC's control. Instead of educating workers that job-losses are a result of global economic crisis, the General Secretary of COSATU implies that the ANC is responsible for the job-losses.
The ANC government carries a responsibility of building sustainable livelihoods for all the people of South Africa and is on track with regards to functions it can play. There are also commendable efforts in the ANC to mobilise the whole of society, particularly the private sector to create job opportunities for majority of the people. These efforts should be appreciated, and properly communicated because anything that creates the impression that the ANC is responsible for job-losses is misleading.
An imagination that Helen Zille will ever be President of South Africa is alarmist because Helen Zille will never be President of South Africa, even if the sun can set from a different direction. Majority of the people of South Africa know very well that Helen Zille represents the interests of some white people and play on their insecurities to secure votes and funding.
Helen Zille has demonstrated in the decisions taken by the DA government in the Western Cape that she has not regard of black communities. The DA will never lead South Africa and no one in the movement should have such imaginations and because they are just that-IMAGINATIONS.
The ANC Youth League will forever protect the right of all comrades in the movement to freely express themselves, but will always express our disagreements on issues that are said in an alarmist fashion.
Statement issued by the ANC Youth League, April 6 2011
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