14 December 2014
Cde Buti Manamela
Leadership of the SACP
Leadership of the ANC
Leadership of COSATU
Leadership of ANCYL
Leadership of SASCO
Leadership of COSAS
Comrade’s delegates
Comrades, we should begin by extending the gratitude of the newly elected National Committee for the confidence shown in them by this historic 4th Congress of the YCLSA. We also thank all the international delegates, delegates from the PYA, and those from other fraternal organisations for their attendance, inputs and support. When you leave we will miss all of you, but we know that in the struggle we will meet time and time again. So as we depart from this Congress let us commit ourselves to strengthening the friendships and solidarity that we have built over the last few days. History is such that people usually look back and remark how events that took place were significant, but that it was not obvious to them at the time.
This Congress has been one of those rare historic occasions which all of us have felt the significance of as we participated. Despite the reactionary views of our detractors, despite the speculation by sections of the press on the imminent demise of the YCLSA, this Congress has reaffirmed the future and role of the YCLSA. You have highly disappointed the media and some reactionary elements.
We thank those members of the National Committee who have not stood for re-election. Your contribution will be written in the glorious history of the YCLSA and your remain members of this organization. Indeed you have continued to teach us that is not about whether you are in a leadership position in an organization, it’s all about being loyal and serving the people. As our understanding as communists is that election in the organization, are meant to strengthen it, not to weaken it and divide it.
We want to salute the founding National Secretary and his collectives that have led the Young Communists League since its re-establishment in 2003. We want to say, you have made a history, a history that will go down in the history of the YCLSA and the history of youth politics in our country. We salute leadership collective for work well done , we do so with mixed feelings as history told us that while collective is essential , it’s also individuals that creates collective.
Cde Buti Manamela have succeeded our 2nd National Secretary, Cde Ruth First, which we as the current leadership we are encouraged by her wise words “Each generation starts off not from the beginning of the struggle, but from the footholds built for it by others, and with the experience and the inspiration bequeathed to it by others who have gone before. Steadily and painful, each generation fights its way upwards, higher than the last, nearer to the goals”.
You leave to us with a strong and united organization. Therefore this leaves us with no option but to struggle for a better society and call us upon on the revolutionary duty to look at the currents demands or challenges of our age to carry out our generational mandate. One noble cause of our time is to build an exciting and campaigning YCLSA and continue to be the worthy sons and daughters of former YCLSA leaders and communists martyrs who has laid a strong foundation for the struggle for socialism.
The congress have resolved on number of resolutions and crafted our programme of action that will take the YCLSA forward in the next four years.
Comrade’s delegates, it is important to highlight few areas the congress has resolved on in line with the Programme of Action:
2016 Local Government Elections.
Media and battle of ideas.
League building, finance and fundraising.
Youth and International equilibrium power.
Youth and Education, Skills Development and Health.
Youth and Economic transformation and Development.
SACP organizational renewal and its impact on YCLSA.
The issue of the radical second phase of our revolution
The National Congress have indeed given a practical expression to the immortal words of Cde Lenin when in defining the tasks of the Youth Leagues he said “The Young Communist League must be a shock force, helping in every job and displaying initiative and enterprise. The League should be an organization enabling any worker to see that it consists of people whose teachings he perhaps does not understand, and whose teachings he may not immediately believe, but from whose practical work and activity he can see that they are really people who are showing him the right road”
Comrades, on the 14 December 2003 at the Re-launching Congress of the Young Communist League sat at the Vaal University of Technology; our National Secretary did the closing address. Today is exactly the 14 of December 2014 at University of Western Cape.
It is important to remind this congress is a result of scientific ideas of YCLSA, which should be sustained and be championed by young communist themselves in order to drive a sustained youth agenda as we mobilize and intensify the mobilization for socialism, the NYDA is our brain child fresh ideas on youth development as we resolved on our 2008 National Council, therefore our participation on youth development is part of taking responsibility of our resolves.
The young communist league will forever remain the most contested organ of the congress movement, precisely because it is the factory that produces future communists and future leaders. Therefore its existence is a threat to capitalists as it guarantees the existence of communists in South Africa.
The orders are clear. Let’s back to our branches, the progressive trade unions, the national liberation movement, the rural areas, communities and Build Socialism!
As we build socialism, we must preserve our character of being an activist, vibrant, discipline and campaigning organization and be in the front on leading the organizational, political and ideological training that impact in the battles facing the youth guided by a scientific out of society, Marxism-Leninism.
As long as there is justice for the rich and injustice for the poor, Aluta continua.
As long as our people are indebted by exploitative banks and loan shacks, Aluta continua
As long as there are workers who work in a shoe factory but go to work bare foot, Aluta continua.
As long there is extreme divide between the rich and the poor, Aluta continua.
As long the majority of youth are not employed
As long as there is a sizeable number of young people go to bed without food, Aluta continua.
As long as there is no free, qualitative and compulsory education, Aluta continua.
We wish you a safety journey to your respective province and happy Christmas and New Year.
Viva the most disciplined most organised youth movement in the country the YCLSA, Viva!
Long live the YCLSA, Long live.
Amanda.
