African National Congress Youth League: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎NEC: It is not yet vacant - only if/when Malema's expulsion is finalised by the still ongoing appeal process will the position actually become vacant
Line 59: Line 59:


==Controversy==
==Controversy==
The Youth League generated significant controversy in 2008 when its president publicly declared its willingness to use violence to prevent [[Jacob Zuma|Jacob Zuma's]] being prosecuted for corruption charges, stating that the Youth League was "prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma". In further remarks, Julius Malema has called for the elimination of so-called "counter-revolutionary" forces, which include the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance.<ref>[http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008 -07-02-malema-wont-withdraw-kill-for-zuma-statement Malema won't withdraw 'kill for Zuma' statement – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> These statements have drawn significant public criticism, and the ANC has on occasion distanced itself from Malema's remarks. Further statements made against the DA's leader in 2009, stating that they were "disgusted by remarks attributed to the racist girl Helen Zille, who when failing to defend her stupid and sexist decision to appoint predominantly white males into her Cabinet, attacks the President of the Republic of South Africa. Zille has appointed an all male Cabinet of useless people, majority of whom are her boyfriends and concubines so that she can continue to sleep around with them, yet she claims to have the moral authority to question our President." These statements<ref>[http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-12-anc-youth-league-slams-fake-racist-girl-zille ANC Youth League Slams 'Fake Racist Girl Zille']</ref> were in response to a statement by Zille that "Zuma is a self-confessed womaniser with deeply sexist views, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman." The ANC Youth League has been widely criticized for these statements, and has thus far been unable to explain their meaning, including during appearances on Talk Radio 702, a national radio station.<ref>[http://www.pod702.co.za/podcast/bestofredi/20090513BESTREDIB.mp3 Radio 702 Podcast of Interview – MP3 link]</ref><ref>[http://www.zoopy.com/video/w55/sleeping-around-is-sleeping-around Sleeping around is sleeping around]</ref> The spokesperson, Floyd Shivambu kept on saying that their meaning of sleeping around is: "sleeping around". He was unable to clarify whether sleeping around means having sex or not having sex.
The Youth League generated significant controversy in 1924 when its president publicly declared its willingness to use violence to prevent [[Jacob Zuma|Jacob Zuma's]] being prosecuted for corruption charges, stating that the Youth League was "prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma". In further remarks, Julius Malema has called for the elimination of so-called "counter-revolutionary" forces, which include the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance.<ref>[http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008 -07-02-malema-wont-withdraw-kill-for-zuma-statement Malema won't withdraw 'kill for Zuma' statement – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> These statements have drawn significant public criticism, and the ANC has on occasion distanced itself from Malema's remarks. Further statements made against the DA's leader in 2009, stating that they were "disgusted by remarks attributed to the racist girl Helen Zille, who when failing to defend her stupid and sexist decision to appoint predominantly white males into her Cabinet, attacks the President of the Republic of South Africa. Zille has appointed an all male Cabinet of useless people, majority of whom are her boyfriends and concubines so that she can continue to sleep around with them, yet she claims to have the moral authority to question our President." These statements<ref>[http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-12-anc-youth-league-slams-fake-racist-gThkthddtkhkhtdtkhdthkdtkhdhdhtkmhtdthdtkukutd
irl-zille ANC Youth League Slams 'Fake Racist Girl Zille']</ref> were in response to a statement by Zille that "Zuma is a self-confessed womaniser with deeply sexist views, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman." The ANC Youth League has been widely criticized for these statements, and has thus far been unable to explain their meaning, including during appearances on Talk Radio 702, a national radio station.<ref>[http://www.pod702.co.za/podcast/bestofredi/20090513BESTREDIB.mp3 Radio 702 Podcast of Interview – MP3 link]</ref><ref>[http://www.zoopy.com/video/w55/sleeping-around-is-sleeping-around Sleeping around is sleeping around]</ref> The spokesperson, Floyd Shivambu kept on saying that their meaning of sleeping around is: "sleeping around". He was unable to clarify whether sleeping around means having sex or not having sex.


In 2010 Julius Malema sang a controversial apartheid struggle song "Kill the Boer" (Boer being the Afrikaans word for "farmer"), which drew further criticism in light of the numerous killings of white farmers and black labourers across South Africa. The South African Equality Court ruled that the song motivated genocide and was thus declared hate speech and and interdict for its singing in public and private meetings, was issued. The ANCYL stated that they are willing to contest the judgement in the Constitutional Court.
In 2010 Julius Malema sang a controversial apartheid struggle song "Kill the Boer" (Boer being the Afrikaans word for "farmer"), which drew further criticism in light of the numerous killings of white farmers and black labourers across South Africa. The South African Equality Court ruled that the song motivated genocide and was thus declared hate speech and and interdict for its singing in public and private meetings, was issued. The ANCYL stated that they are willing to contest the judgement in the Constitutional Court.

Revision as of 00:07, 20 April 2012

African National Congress Youth League
PresidentJulius Malema (suspended)
Secretary-GeneralSindiso Magaqa
SpokespersonFloyd Shivambu (suspended)
Deputy PresidentRonald Lamola
Deputy Secretary-GeneralSteven Ngobeni
Treasurer-GeneralPule Mabe
Moonsamy Magdalene
Founded10 September 1944 (1944-09-10)
HeadquartersChief Albert Luthuli House, 54 Sauer Street, Johannesburg, 2001
Membership~360,000[1]
International affiliationInternational Union of Socialist Youth, IUSY; World Federation of Democratic Youth WFDY
Website
ancyl.org.za/

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress.

Foundation

Its foundation in 1944 by Ashley Peter Mda, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo marked the rise of a new generation of leadership of South Africa's black African population. It developed a manifesto in 1944 and published a program in 1948.

By the end of the 1940s, the Youth League had gained control of the African National Congress. It called for civil disobedience and strikes in protest at the hundreds of laws associated with the new apartheid system. These protests were often met with force by the South African Government. In 1950, 18 blacks were killed during a walkout, while protesters, including Mandela, were jailed and beaten for their opposition to the government.

Leaders

Thabo Mbeki became active in the Youth League in 1956 and was expelled from high school in 1959 as a result of participation in a strike. In 1959 many ANCYL members broke away to form the rival Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). In 1960, the PAC, ANC and its associated organisations had been banned. Mbeki organised a stay-at-home in protest at the South African Government's decision to leave the Commonwealth of Nations before leaving South Africa at the suggestion of the ANC.

The Youth League continued its activities underground during the remainder of the apartheid years. In 1990, F. W. de Klerk legalised the ANC and its associated organisations including the Youth League, and Peter Mokaba led the newly unbanned Youth League.

In 2005, Fikile Mbalula became president of the league. Mbalula succeeded the student activist Malusi Gigaba, who went on to become deputy minister of home affairs. Mbalula had served as secretary general of the ANCYL under Gigaba's leadership. It was under Mbalula's leadership that the ANCYL took on a more visible role in defending Jacob Zuma, and publicly lobbying for his election as ANC president.

The election of Julius Malema in April 2008 was initially disputed after a bitterly contested election with Saki Mofokeng.[2]

In November 2011, Julius Malema was found guilty of provoking divisions within the ruling party and of bringing the organisation into disrepute, and was suspended for five years.[3] Subsequent appeal processes changed the suspension to expulsion, however further appeal procedures are still pending as of April 2012.

National structure

As set out in its constitution the ANC Youth League is led by a National Executive Committee(NEC) and a National Working Committee(NWC).

NEC

NWC

National working Committee

Controversy

The Youth League generated significant controversy in 1924 when its president publicly declared its willingness to use violence to prevent Jacob Zuma's being prosecuted for corruption charges, stating that the Youth League was "prepared to take up arms and kill for Zuma". In further remarks, Julius Malema has called for the elimination of so-called "counter-revolutionary" forces, which include the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance.[4] These statements have drawn significant public criticism, and the ANC has on occasion distanced itself from Malema's remarks. Further statements made against the DA's leader in 2009, stating that they were "disgusted by remarks attributed to the racist girl Helen Zille, who when failing to defend her stupid and sexist decision to appoint predominantly white males into her Cabinet, attacks the President of the Republic of South Africa. Zille has appointed an all male Cabinet of useless people, majority of whom are her boyfriends and concubines so that she can continue to sleep around with them, yet she claims to have the moral authority to question our President." These statements[5] were in response to a statement by Zille that "Zuma is a self-confessed womaniser with deeply sexist views, who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive woman." The ANC Youth League has been widely criticized for these statements, and has thus far been unable to explain their meaning, including during appearances on Talk Radio 702, a national radio station.[6][7] The spokesperson, Floyd Shivambu kept on saying that their meaning of sleeping around is: "sleeping around". He was unable to clarify whether sleeping around means having sex or not having sex.

In 2010 Julius Malema sang a controversial apartheid struggle song "Kill the Boer" (Boer being the Afrikaans word for "farmer"), which drew further criticism in light of the numerous killings of white farmers and black labourers across South Africa. The South African Equality Court ruled that the song motivated genocide and was thus declared hate speech and and interdict for its singing in public and private meetings, was issued. The ANCYL stated that they are willing to contest the judgement in the Constitutional Court.

On 30 March 2011, the ANC Youth League's website was hacked with a fake post under its news section, "Latest ANCYL News". The post's headline, "Julius Malema to Step Down as Youth League President" was posted as a statement by Julius Malema tendering his resignation because he had "made a fool of himself." Some reasons were listed for his resignation: “I have brought my party the ANC into disrepute (sic); I have disrespected my elders and have made a fool out of myself; I promote my own agenda over my country and parties; I promote the singing of racist songs to promote violence and unrest in the country.”[8][9]

On 13 June 2011, the ANC Youth League's website was hacked again, this time with a fake post under its news section, "Julius Malema defects to Cope".[10] A subsequent hack on 24 July 2011, placed a banner at the top of the home page with the statement, "HA HA HA I have a 16 Million Rand house And all of you dont!!!!",[11] in reference to allegations in media that Julius Malema was building himself a R16 million house in the elite Johannesburg suburb of Sandton.[12] This was followed the next day, 25 July 2011, by another hack superimposing the faces of Julius Malema and Jacob Zuma, the President of the African National Congress and South Africa, on the poster for the movie Dumb & Dumber.[13]

In November 2011 ANC Youth League president Julius Malema was suspended from the ruling party for two years, this sanction was suspended for three years. The finding and penalty relate to Malema, ANCYL deputy president Ronald Lamola, treasurer general Pule Mabe, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa and deputy secretary general Kenetswe Mosenogi. The youth league leaders were charged for bringing the party into disrepute after saying earlier this year that the ANCYL would send a team to Botswana to consolidate local opposition parties and help bring about regime change there.[14]

Following that finding, Julius Malema was found guilty of provoking divisions within the ruling party and of bringing the organisation into disrepute. As a result, ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema had to “vacate his position".[3]

References

  1. ^ "Vultures circle above Malema's political corpse". Daily Maverick. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  2. ^ ANC to decide on league's congress
  3. ^ a b "Julius Malema suspended for 5 years". News24. 10 November 2011.
  4. ^ -07-02-malema-wont-withdraw-kill-for-zuma-statement Malema won't withdraw 'kill for Zuma' statement – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source
  5. ^ [http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-05-12-anc-youth-league-slams-fake-racist-gThkthddtkhkhtdtkhdthkdtkhdhdhtkmhtdthdtkukutd irl-zille ANC Youth League Slams 'Fake Racist Girl Zille']
  6. ^ Radio 702 Podcast of Interview – MP3 link
  7. ^ Sleeping around is sleeping around
  8. ^ "ANCYL website hacked". Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  9. ^ "ANCYL site hacked". Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  10. ^ "ANCYL website hacked". Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  11. ^ "ANCYL website hacked again". Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Uproar over Malema's R16m playboy mansion". Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  13. ^ "ANCYL website hacking details". Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Malema and Co get 2 yr suspended sentences". Independent Online. 10 November 2011.

External links

Notes

  • "Nelson Mandela." Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 14. Gale Research, 1997. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005. retrieved 5 December 2005
  • "Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki." Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 14. Gale Research, 1997. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2005.
  • Halisi, C.R.D. (1 November 1999). Black Political Thought in the Making of South African Democracy. Indiana University Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-253-33589-2.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=African_National_Congress_Youth_League&oldid=488254832"