Statement On The Month of April: A Special Month In The Life Of The ANCYL
3 April 2014
The month of April has earned the status of being our `heroes` month`, as the ANC led Congress Movement. The month of April in history has repeatedly seen the passing away of such esteemed leaders of the African National Congress as President Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani and Solomon Mahlangu; all of whom were remarkable members of the ANC Youth League.
Consistent with this fact, we have over the years observed the passing away of these heroes of the South African liberation struggle in this month of April through various commemorative events, ranging from rallies to memorial lectures. Indeed this year will be no different and these programmes will be rolled out throughout this month. These events provide us as the movement and the country at large with platforms to reflect on the political and social values that these fallen heroes embodied in life and continue to symbolize in death, as we grapple with various challenges of social development in the present day.
What is mostly understated is the fact that the ANCYL shot into prominence in this heroes` month on the 2 April 1944. Indeed the actual date of founding, that being its inaugural congress, was the 10th of September 1944.
However, the first meeting of the organization that came up with a manifesto of the ANCYL was released 6 months before the actual launch, on 2 April. The manifesto sent ripples throughout the political spectrum of South Africa, signaling the dawn of a robust and militant era in Congress politics and those of South Africa broadly. Thus, the month of April carries the flag of heroism not only for having recorded the passing away of these esteemed patriots of our country but also because it is in this month that the ANCYL as the `incubator` of these fallen heroes was introduced to the public through its 1944 manifesto.
Throughout our country`s history, the ANCYL has been the foremost molding platform for the emergence of the greatest leaders that South Africa has come to know. Foremost among these great leaders are Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela, AP Mda, Anton Lembede and many others.
Throughout this history, the ANCYL has successfully incubated a capable corps of cadres that each given epoch required to accelerate the advance of the cause of freedom. Thus, in reflecting on this heroes` month, the ANCYL has an abiding responsibility to sustain this historical trend, to always assert itself as the bearer of the most progressive ideals and a leading force in the resolution of our urgent questions of social transformation.
In this context, the ANCYL points at the ANC manifesto with its recurrent theme of pursuing socio-economic freedom in our lifetime. The ANC manifesto is committed to fixing the focus of the state more towards the question of fundamental economic transformation. It recognizes the growing levels of unemployment in general and youth unemployment in particular. It also accepts our proposition that for all of this inclusive economic life to come into being, there is a need for us to radically alter the structure of our economy in order to erode its racial and semi-colonial overtones.
For some time now, as the ANCYL we have asserted the need for South Africa to place high on the agenda of its national discourse the pertinent question of transforming our economic relations in a manner that best attends to the needs of the vast majority of South Africans.
We have sounded the alarm bell to the glaring truth that if there is no fundamental transformation of our economic situation, we will inevitably witness the reversal of the great strides that our country has made in building an inclusive society underpinned by non-racialism, non-sexism and democratic social discourse.
In observing this heroes` month, in which the idea of the ANCYL came to life, we reaffirm our commitment to struggling for a better tomorrow in line with the progressive objectives of our national democratic revolution. We reaffirm the commitment of this generation to doing all that is necessary to ensure the reproduction of excellent South Africans who espouse such values as associable with the heroes of our movement, the passed and the living. These values are selflessness, service to our people, commitment to democracy, striving for non-racial nation building and the fundamental transformation of our society to the benefit of the presently vulnerable people.
Issued by:
African National Congress Youth League
FOR INTERVIEWS:
Dr. Bandile Masuku (ANCYL National Spokesperson) - 071 574 4513
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| Martha Mahlangu, the mother of |
3 April 2014
The month of April has earned the status of being our `heroes` month`, as the ANC led Congress Movement. The month of April in history has repeatedly seen the passing away of such esteemed leaders of the African National Congress as President Oliver Tambo, Chris Hani and Solomon Mahlangu; all of whom were remarkable members of the ANC Youth League.
Consistent with this fact, we have over the years observed the passing away of these heroes of the South African liberation struggle in this month of April through various commemorative events, ranging from rallies to memorial lectures. Indeed this year will be no different and these programmes will be rolled out throughout this month. These events provide us as the movement and the country at large with platforms to reflect on the political and social values that these fallen heroes embodied in life and continue to symbolize in death, as we grapple with various challenges of social development in the present day.
What is mostly understated is the fact that the ANCYL shot into prominence in this heroes` month on the 2 April 1944. Indeed the actual date of founding, that being its inaugural congress, was the 10th of September 1944.
However, the first meeting of the organization that came up with a manifesto of the ANCYL was released 6 months before the actual launch, on 2 April. The manifesto sent ripples throughout the political spectrum of South Africa, signaling the dawn of a robust and militant era in Congress politics and those of South Africa broadly. Thus, the month of April carries the flag of heroism not only for having recorded the passing away of these esteemed patriots of our country but also because it is in this month that the ANCYL as the `incubator` of these fallen heroes was introduced to the public through its 1944 manifesto.
Throughout our country`s history, the ANCYL has been the foremost molding platform for the emergence of the greatest leaders that South Africa has come to know. Foremost among these great leaders are Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela, AP Mda, Anton Lembede and many others.
Throughout this history, the ANCYL has successfully incubated a capable corps of cadres that each given epoch required to accelerate the advance of the cause of freedom. Thus, in reflecting on this heroes` month, the ANCYL has an abiding responsibility to sustain this historical trend, to always assert itself as the bearer of the most progressive ideals and a leading force in the resolution of our urgent questions of social transformation.
In this context, the ANCYL points at the ANC manifesto with its recurrent theme of pursuing socio-economic freedom in our lifetime. The ANC manifesto is committed to fixing the focus of the state more towards the question of fundamental economic transformation. It recognizes the growing levels of unemployment in general and youth unemployment in particular. It also accepts our proposition that for all of this inclusive economic life to come into being, there is a need for us to radically alter the structure of our economy in order to erode its racial and semi-colonial overtones.
For some time now, as the ANCYL we have asserted the need for South Africa to place high on the agenda of its national discourse the pertinent question of transforming our economic relations in a manner that best attends to the needs of the vast majority of South Africans.
We have sounded the alarm bell to the glaring truth that if there is no fundamental transformation of our economic situation, we will inevitably witness the reversal of the great strides that our country has made in building an inclusive society underpinned by non-racialism, non-sexism and democratic social discourse.
In observing this heroes` month, in which the idea of the ANCYL came to life, we reaffirm our commitment to struggling for a better tomorrow in line with the progressive objectives of our national democratic revolution. We reaffirm the commitment of this generation to doing all that is necessary to ensure the reproduction of excellent South Africans who espouse such values as associable with the heroes of our movement, the passed and the living. These values are selflessness, service to our people, commitment to democracy, striving for non-racial nation building and the fundamental transformation of our society to the benefit of the presently vulnerable people.
Issued by:
African National Congress Youth League
FOR INTERVIEWS:
Dr. Bandile Masuku (ANCYL National Spokesperson) - 071 574 4513
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