Young Communist League Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla Statement

6-7 March 2010, Kimberley

The YCL held its yearly strategic planning session over a period of two days attended by branch, district, provincial representative as well as our national deployee. The Lekgotla was also attended by our progressive allies i.e. ANCYL, SASCO and COSAS. The Lekgotla focused on the overall organizational work since the last Lekgotla held in 2009.The following key issues dominated the Lekgotla for the Year ahead and therefore resolved:

On Education

• That we need to meet with the MEC of Education as a matter of extreme urgency (and consistently) to discuss the 10 point plan (which has not been canvassed with all stake holders as thought and recently announced), as well as the overall approach to improve education system in the Province which is characterized by systemic and structural challenges.

On the University

• Establish a task team that should look at the overall work that needs to be done with regard to the people`s university in the province which should be named after one of our hero`s/heroines of struggle in the province. We will mobilize our allies in this regard on the name that all of us can agree on
  
• Our university should be of a different kind, unique, and responsive to the needs of our people
  
• It should be everywhere in the province, to dismiss any unscientific call of its location as it has happen in the recent past
  
• Another key feature to this university should be its content which at the centre should be social solidarity and different from the one`s that continue to reproduce the master`s ideas of exploitation and oppression
  
• This university should be for the country; beneficial to the people of the province and take into account the provincial dynamics and complexities
  
• We will be working with our allies on a document on the kind of a university we are envisaging and engage the minister in this regard

On ESKOM

• We affirm the view held by the majority of our people in rejecting the tariff hike
  
• We want to further call that NERSA`s mandate be changed as well as its composition, (the election of those who sits on the board)

On the State of the Province Affairs

• We are of the view that the provincial administration has not fundamentally changed in the way things were done in the past or its posture does not inspire much confidence since the last ten months. We find this expressed in the state of the province address which does not provide ground breaking changes moving forward.
  
• We will seek an audience with the premier on issues relating to youth development as soon as possible

On Service Delivery

• We need to be proactive and not wait for the protest actions to erupt
  
• One of the priorities needing attention is the deterioration of the infrastructure in all municipalities especially in Frances Baard and the continued complains of lack of services delivery to our communities
  
• The continued factional battles in municipalities which compromise service delivery i.e. Solplaatjie municipality where a youth desk is led by two different factions
  
• We call for a STOP on government departments who continue to undermine the resolution on outsourcing. Why is it that there are many departments that still outsource services despite a standing resolution in this regard. We demand an audit of all outsourced services in the last ten months in the province.
  
• We call for an investigation into the `looting` of Basha Fund and Mme Re Ka Thusa located in the Premier`s office in the past administration, where millions have gone un accounted for

On Nationalization

• The Legotkla welcomed the change of the previous stance in this regard from a `Malemalization` to a debate
  
• We have noted the serious gaps in the document, and we will contribute into the debate moving forward and avoid what has came to characterize the debate into retrogressive rhetoric and loudness
  
• The Lekgotla noted that the debate does not need a grand standing of celebrities, “bling” culturists and sophisticated looters (who suppose to be leaders of young people) behaving as if they have a platinum membership of the movement

On Crime

We have noted with shock the continued violent crimes and unresolved murders (week in and week out) especially in the province. We want to warn the MEC of Safety and Liason that together with stakeholders we have mooted a plan of action on what should be done with continued ignorance from his part. His behavior suggests that he assumes he has a monopoly of what needs to be done in fighting crime in our communities, this unfortunately will be his down fall. More needs to be done, important as it is visiting the family of the victims will never be enough

Conclusion

• We will mobilize all youth and progressives against corruption
  
• We will engage government on the developmental path for the youth in the province before and after their budget votes
• We will mobilize and rally the youth on our POA 2010 including: carrying a condom everywhere, free sanitary towels, adopt a school in your area, and many of our programs which our structures will be taking forward.
  

For more information contact.

Kabelo Mohibidu (Provincial Secretary Northern Cape)

Contact: 083 542 5372