ANCYL waters down mine, land proposals

Mogomotsi Magome

THE ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has ditched its previous resolutions demanding nationalisation of mines and expropriation of land without compensation.

In a departure from the radical policy proposals on mineral resources and the land question adopted at its previous national congress, the league emerged from its congress with watered-down proposals on both issues.

The strengthening of a state-owned mining company, which already exists, was the closest the league came to addressing the issue of nationalisation of mines.

This is perhaps the strongest indication of the league, whose leadership under Julius Malema was disbanded, towing the ANC line.

This was further emphasised by newly elected president Collen Maine issuing an apology to the ANC leadership. Maine pledged that under his leadership, the league would not attack or insult the party’s leadership.

The newly elected leadership said its autonomy remained but was not to be understood as independent from the ANC. Some delegates had raised the issue during discussions, after President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday that people who spoke about autonomy were giving indications that they wanted to break away from the ANC.

Among its economic policy proposals, the league wanted the introduction of a super tax for wealthy South Africans to contribute to state coffers.

It has described the tax as necessary to contribute to government coffers to boost development in the country, and warned that young people’s patience with the slow pace of economic transformation was wearing thin.

The proposal is one among a litany on the country’s economic policies which it plans to present to the ANC’s national general council later this year. The league has also proposed that 30 percent of all tenders awarded by government be set aside for youth-owned companies.

According to its resolution, proceeds from the proposed wealth tax should raise money for developmental priorities.

“We must introduce the wealth tax targeting the super-rich to raise additional revenue to finance development-oriented programmes such as the national health insurance fund and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme,” it said.

The league also plans to lobby the ANC to ensure that 40 percent of its candidates for the position of councillors in next year’s local government elections are young people.

This proposal was overwhelmingly supported by delegates, along with an emphasis on increased budgets for municipalities’ youth programmes.

The league aims to pressurise the ANC to ensure that all municipalities have youth units with sufficient budgets.

“Most municipalities do not have concrete policies on youth development and do not have sufficient budgets.”

The league has warned that the youth were running out of patience, and also proposed that 60 percent of jobs in state-owned enterprises be reserved for young people.

It also warned that unemployment was a timebomb for the country.

“The ANC-led democratic government has lacked decisiveness and creativity in addressing youth unemployment.

“The patience of the youth has run very thin and unless there can be decisive intervention, the country is sitting on a timebomb,” said secretary general Njabulo Nzuza.

“The state must build its own state-owned bank by immediately implementing the Mangaung resolution of corporatising the Post Bank and ensuring it has a monopoly on distribution of social grants and salaries of public servants,” said Nzuza.

In his maiden address, Maine apologised to the leadership of the ANC.

Maine, who has been accused of having been imposed and backed by the so-called “premier league”, denied its existence and said it was done to cast aspersions on the new leadership. Maine quoted from the Bible to emphasise that the league should respect its elders.