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Vol 3 No 39
30 November-13 December 2007
Quo Vadis
Post‐Limpopo
“The truth is that, as an organisation, we are sharply
divided on who should become the next President of the ANC. The truth is
also that after the Conference there will be one ANC President. Another truth
is that between December 2007 and some point in 2009 after the general
elections, we may end up temporarily with “two centres of power”. There
will be a President for the ANC and the President for the country.”
AS WE GET CLOSER to the opinions about its policies the country are treated as
ANC National Conference and leadership. Everyone those party-political
in Polokwane, Limpopo, is interested that the Conferences, but the
many voices can be heard outcome of the ANC’s Conference
commenting on both Conference should reflect belongs to all the people
policy and leadership their own aspirations. of our country. This
issues. This cross-sectional People understand that vindicates the vision of the
interest in the ANC the outcomes of the founders of our movement
Conference is testimony to Conference will have a who conceived of the
the greatness of our deep-rooted bearing on ANC as the Parliament of
movement and should be their own lives and on the the People of South Africa
received and treated by future of our country. and underscores the
all our delegates, There are very few character of the ANC as a
members and structures organisations whose revolutionary people’s
with great humility. activities incite such movement, not merely an
Many people, enthusiastic and organisation representing
regardless of their political passionate responses from the parochial interest of its
allegiances and beliefs, the broadest sections of members only. The ANC
feel that the Conference is the people, regardless of carries on its shoulders
important not only to us as their political allegiances immense responsibilities
the ANC, but to them as and beliefs. It is rare to find and all South Africans,
individuals and the rest of similar examples anywhere including those who may
society as a whole and in the world. All other not like and/or are
cannot proceed without Conferences of other opposed to it, see it
them as well adding their political organisations in
nonetheless as their de on what to do to re- lessons. At the height of
facto leader. invigorate the ANC and racial bigotry and brutality,
We go to Polokwane present it to 2012 alive and it taught them to embrace
emboldened by this reality. still spitting fire, non-racialism and to be
We are the successors of representing all our prepared to struggle and
the visionary founders of people, especially the even die for this objective.
our movement 95 years poor and working people. It taught them that “South
ago. Ours is a 95-year old The ANC did not get Africa belonged to all who
organisation that grew this far by chance. It has lived in it, black and
from humble beginnings to taken 95 years to build it white”. It rejected the
represent and lead the into this effective and slogan that emanated
people of South Africa as efficient fighting machine. from certain nationalist
a whole. We enjoy the trust It earned its accolades in organisations that the
and confidence of the the struggle against white people must be
people who expect that apartheid colonialism and chased to the sea.
we will not betray their grew to become the The ANC has taught
yearning and hope for a eminent leader of the the people to be against
better life. Nothing we South African people all forms of bigotry and
have done so far has because of how bravely it discrimination, and to
caused them to expect fought, and because of embrace the humane
any less from their heroic, the firmness of its principles principles of unity, non-
fighting, revolutionary and because it was sexism and democracy. It
movement. viewed by all our people has taught them to
When our 4000 as their greater teacher embrace the spirit of
delegates gather in and unifier. international and human
Polokwane at the There are many who solidarity. It has also taught
University of Limpopo, they wish that this be the last them to struggle for their
will be aware of this Conference of a united rights, no matter how
enormous responsibility ANC. This is nothing new. supreme the sacrifice they
that they will be carrying During the 95 years of its may have to pay for
on their shoulders. They will existence, there are many victory. It taught them
be aware that they meet people who have wanted many lessons at the same
to represent the people as to see the ANC die or get time as it also learned
a whole and to provide weakened through many lessons from the
visionary and principled division. They have used all masses of the people,
leadership to the masses. sorts of tricks to achieve growing and maturing at
They will be meeting at the these goals. But, they the same time as they did.
Great Site of the struggle, failed during the difficult This is a huge legacy
Turfloop, where many a period of exile, bannings that the 4000 delegates
battle against the system and the underground. meeting in Polokwane will
of racial oppression were They will still try and we are be representing. They will
fought and won; where sure they fail again during be representing not just
many a cadre of the great this new, challenging and their branches and the
revolution were sharpened complex time of other hundreds of
and unleashed. There will governance, openness thousands of ANC
be no illusion about what and freedom. members, but the
they must do so that the The ANC is the great aspirations of the
ANC could live 95 years, teacher of the people. aspirations of the people
nay, another 100 years. Over the 95 years that it of South Africa as a whole.
Only 5 years before the has lived and led them in Even if they tried it, these
heroic Centenary of our the fight against racial 4000 delegates will not
movement, all the oppression, it has taught succeed to destroy the
delegates will be focused them many important ANC. Anyway, it is not part
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of their mandate as they we may end up will be learned and what
go to Polokwane to get temporarily with “two new legacy will develop.
there and destroy it. The centres of power”. There It was relatively easy to
ANC is the child of the will be a President for the manage the Madiba
people of Africa and they ANC and the President for transition because he had
would never allow anyone the country. voluntarily stepped down.
to destroy it. It was built We have as the Youth We must realise that these
over many decades and League previously are people and by nature
no one has a right to appealed to all ANC human relations are
destroy it. members to respect the complex. Failure to
So, if this is the case, decision that will be taken manage this will create
and because we all know by the Conference on who tensions and instigate
that the ANC Conference the President of the ANC reaction. It is important to
will be successful, the must be. We have also attend to this because it is
question for us is, what is called for a protocol for a brand new experience
the way forward after the former ANC Presidents. This for the movement. We
Conference? The is important to guide how have never faced it
Conference may be former Presidents behave before. The two Presidents
successful, but picking up and relate with the will have to know that both
the pieces after the organisation as a whole, are individually and
Conference may pose a especially the elected collectively subject to the
greater challenge. We collectives, the NEC, in collective interests of the
must not be naïve to think cases where they may be ANC as a movement. It is
that everything will be nice ex-Presidents of the ANC them who serve the ANC
after the Conference and while they are still the which, in turn, serves the
everyone will emerge from President of the country. people of South Africa. It is
it happy. The things that There must be thought not the people of South
are happening now given to how the President Africa who serve the ANC
before the Conference will of the country who is an which, in turn serves the
not simply come to an end ex-President of the ANC Presidents.
once the Conference relates to the President of The unity of the ANC is
elects the leadership of the ANC who is not yet the paramount and must be
the ANC. Bad feelings may President of the country. paramount in their
linger on after the This becomes even more agenda. A standoff
Conference or new important when the between them will be
problems and challenges President of the country fundamentally against the
will emerge. We cannot had lost an election to the interests of the ANC. But,
leave this to chance. President of the ANC we must not also naively
The truth is that, as an before the next general expect that the two will
organisation, we are elections. This reality may automatically work
sharply divided on who confront the ANC in the together. We must not
should become the next near future, and will stay leave this question to
President of the ANC. The with us for more than a chance.
truth is also that after the year. How things unfold
Conference there will be during this period of more
one ANC President. than a year will have a
Another truth is that major bearing on how the
between December 2007 next five or more years will
Fikile Mbalula
and some point in 2009 be like, and what new
PRESIDENT: ANCYL
after the general elections, experiences and lessons
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This newsletter is also available in PDF from the ANCYL web site at: www.anc.org.za/youth
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