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Lift illegal and racist sanctions against Zimbabwe - NLM youth formations

by ANCYL
12 Mar 2013 at 08:01hrs | Views
DECLARATION OF THE MEETING OF HEADS OF YOUTH LEAGUES AND WINGS OF POLITICAL PARTIES OF FORMER LIBERATION MOVEMENTS HELD AT FREEDOM PARK, TSHWANE, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA, 6TH OF MARCH 2013

The Heads of Youth Leagues and Wings of Political Parties of Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa met in Freedom Park, Tswane, Gauteng, South Africa Windhoek, on 6th March 2013. The following Heads and representatives of Leagues and Wings of Political Parties attended and provided political submissions:

    Cde Basilio Z. Muhate, Secretary General of OJM, Mozambique
    Cde Ronald Lamola ANCYL, Acting President of ANCYL, South Africa
    Dr Elijah Ngurare, Secretary of SWAPO Party Youth League, Namibia
    Cde Mboni Mhita, Vice President of CCM Youth League, Tanzania
    Cde Sergio Luther Rescova Joachim, 1st Secretary of JMPLA, Angola
    Cde Absalom Sikhosana, Secretary of Zanu-PF Youth League, Zimbabwe

Having noted, reflected and observed the following:

1. We dip our revolutionary banner in honour of the late Commander in Chief, Cde President Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias and leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

2. We recognise his contributions towards the advancement of nationalisation of several key industries and increased government funding of health care and education and contributed to the decrease of poverty in Venezuela.

3. Each Liberation Youth League and Wing gave a brief report on the state of the organization and of young people in their respective countries and further noted the progress made since our last meeting in Zimbabwe.

4. that SADC and the continent the population is youthful and constitute more than half of the entire on, that therefore means we are the future of the continent. Our role and participation in influencing decision and direction the continent should take in our respective countries now its paramount.

5. Youth employment and empowerment should remain at the center of the continents economic and social developmental agenda.

6. Economic oppurtunities for the youth needs to focus on the creating opputunities for young people by calling for the increase in investment in local industry and the sale of local products.

7. There is an urgent need for an ideological programme for the youth of Africa to intensify its defence of Africa's autonomy and sovereignity that is free from foreign influence and imperialism.

8. There is a need for the heightened collaboration on empowerment programmes for vulnerable youth between the youth leagues and wings in the region in order to strengthen the grass-roots relevance of youth leagues and wings in order to avoid rebellion and protests of young people.

Having further noted and appreciated:

1. The efforts of the leadership of our parties in having realised the outcome of the Dar Es Salaam Declaration taken in 2010 by the Presidents of our Parties, and the Windhoek Declaration taken in 2011 by the leaders of Youth Leagues and Wings; called for regular interaction and cooperation at all levels of our parties, including with those of the youth, women and veteran's wings of our respective movements.

2. South Africa for hosting the meeting of Former Liberation Movements and extend gratitude to the African National Congress and the people of South Africa for warmly receiving us and ensuring our comfortable visit.

3. That there is a need for continuous meetings that would allow for the realisation of modalities towards our fight against economic, cultural and political imperialism.

4. That the President and the Deputy Secretary of the Pan-African Youth Union are from SADC and from the youth wings of former liberation movement ANC and ZANU PF respectively, that we support the PYU and ensure that its fulfils its political objectives of mobilising the youth of the continent and champions their plight.

5. That the Chairperson of the African Union is Cde Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who has served the people of South Africa with pride and we encourage her to go onto serve the African continent with the same vigour. This is indeed a magnamous success for women in the continent.

Having recognised that:

1. We reaffirm that much has to be done to improve the socio-economic conditions on the continent post liberation and hence urge former liberation movements and their governments to hastily change these conditions through decisive interventions.

2. There is a need to reconsider the involvement of youth leagues and wings participation in the International Union of Socialist Youth. The convenors of the meeting of the Harare Declaration 2012 should present a political submission to the next meeting as to their observations and recommendations to the youth leagues and wings.

3. Cultural imperialism continues to strain the continent of its ideological grounding amongst its youth. Humanitarian Aid should at no point be conditional. We must strive towards the establishment of an African News Network and ensure the intensification of the African Identity.

Declare as follows in relation to the BRICS Summit to be held in Kwa Zulu Natal in March 2013.

1. It is for the first time that the BRICS Summit will be held on the African continent. South Africa must ensure that it plays a significant role in the advancement of the African Agenda as the commitment of South Africa's role in BRICS. To ensure that trade and industrialisation for the benefit of the people of the global South in specific which ultimately reaches the people of the continent.

2. The BRICS Summit is a platform for African development
especially with regard to the establishment of the BRICS Bank of Development and Cooperation.

3. We should ensure that the Bank is not used as the World Bank was against Africa under Thatcherism and constricted the development of Africa under Structural Adjustment Programmes. The Bank must focus on general development of the south.

4. The BRICS Summit and the BRICS Youth Sumiit must resolve on the establishment of a Youth formation in the interest of trade oppurtunities for young people and to continue its stride towrads the industrialisation of the Continent.

DECLARE AS FOLLOWS ON ELECTIONS IN THE CONTINENT:

1. As we prepare for elections in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, we will continue to reaffirm the role that our movements have played in liberating our people and continue to support each other and ensure that we retain our majority in terms of the elections outcome.

2. We call for free and fair elections and continue to reject sanctions in Zimbabwe. We note the call by the Zimbabwean people that countries that support and institute illegal and racist sanctions against Zimbabwe should not participate at any level in elections process.

3. We further declare that such illegal and racist sanctions in Zimbabwe are lifted unconditionally.

4. We reaffirm the Windhoek Declaration that "Our parties must use their overwhelming majorities in parliaments to enact laws and put in place measures to change and transform our societies and stop being apologetic for implementing policies that will rectify the ills of the past. It should be clearly understood that our people have given most if not all of our parties 2/3 majorities in order to give them the legislative tools to change society, thus failure to transform society can no longer be misconstrued as a legacy of imperialism but must be accepted as an inability of the majority of our governments to act boldly on economic transformation."

5. We further reaffirm that our governments should not be over regulated by opposition parties and always prioritise the interest of our masses.

5. Elections must not be seen as cyclical events and that our commitment to the electorate remains consistent.

6. That in future at such meetings, the wings are allowed to present their outcome document to a closing plenary meeting.

Further, declare on International and African Solidarity:

1. African states must refuse the ill intent of the entry of AFRICOM into the continent and the establishment of military bases.

2. All states must ensure the singing of AU song in schools and government buildings accompanied by the hoisting of the AU flag to build and harmonise African sovereignity and harmony.

3. We must ensure the hasty completion and implementation of the GPA in Zimbabwe and the CPA in the Sudan and Southern Sudan in order to allow national processes to unfold in the national interest of the respective states.

4. We condemn strongly the coup that took place in the recent past, the political turmoil and unrest in Mali, and further call on the European countries particularly France to restrain on their interest in the African Continent specifically in Mali, Central African Republic and Cote de vore. Africans should be allowed space to resolve their own challenges outside of the forceful interference of our former colonisers.

5. Strengthen our solidarity campaign on the illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco, further call for isolation of Morocco be suspended from participation in CAF(Africa Cup of Nations). We continue to reaffirm that Western Sahara remains the last colony in Africa and call for its total liberation and sovereignty.

6. The release of one of the Cuban Five indicates a lack of commitment on the side of the United States of America. We demand the collective release and refuse the conditional community service to be meted out in the US, as in the case of Rene Gonzalez. We furthermore, call for the lifting of the economic blockade and constant oppression of the people of Cuba.

7. We congratulate Palestine on its "non member" status to the United Nations and, we further call on Israel to end its apartheid occupation of Palestine. We further condemn the Israeli state sponsored anti-African xenophobia and call on the African Union to intervention in the matter.

8. We reject the intervention by South African courts to resolve colonial land matters of Zimbabwe. We ought to look into the deeper issues of the role played by the SADC tribunal in terms of the Mike Campbell case that seeks to achieve redress through its sovereignty. The South African judiciary should not be seen as a point of remedy as his undermines the sovereignty of Zimbabwe. This requires us to focus on the strides that must still be made towards urgent transformation in the judiciary within the region.

9. We reaffirm that land remains at the core of our struggle for liberation.

10. There is an urgent need to ensure the implementation of creating a borderless SADC for easier economic (intra trade) and developmental passage in the region.

Further resolved on Ideological and Political work

1. That reaffirm our resolve on establishing a Political School in Tanzania lead by CCM and further call for speedy implementation of the Political School. We further submit that all the former liberation movements in their respective countries also look into the constructing political schools.

2. Further noted a need to consolidate a progressive political voice in the continent by looking at the possibility of forming a political solidarity movement, where all the progressive political parties will affiliate. The movement should advance a clear ideological agenda that will fight all forms of domination and imperialism. This movement should define and advance an African agenda that liberate the continent ideologically, politically, economically and socially.

3. Strengthen each other as Former Liberation Movement Youth Wings through mobilisation strategies of insuring that our Parties remain relevant and enjoys the confidence or our people.

4. Sister parties must also play a greater role in the media space by establishing radio station, newspapers and magazines. Assist in the development of programs that will feature more local content projecting a positive image on Africans targeting children to counter the western cartoons.

5. Education from even childhood development to be used to instil a certain level of ideological consciousness amongst children and youth and history as a subject in school be compulsory and should explicit on the history of the liberation struggle in the continent and our respective countries.

6. We must continue to exchange notes including sharing of press statement with each other, so that we have a better understanding of contemporary organisational and political issues of our respective countries and parties.

7. Cultural exchange programs must be encouraged by all the sister parties.

And in conclusion, in relation to youth development and women empowerment that:

1. Youth development must remain a multi sectoral prerogative and that diverse interventions from all sectors of society must be encouraged to increase in the interest of the growing youth buldge in the continent.

2. The Pan African Youth Union has a significant role to play in advancing the interests of youth in the continent and should be allowed the space and be provided with the support by the Afirican Union to coordinate and implement programmes that advance youth development.

3. The role and status of PAYU as a member of AU must be given immediate status as a youth wing of the AU. We furthermore call on the governments of Zimbabwe and South Africa to give institutional support to the PAYU, considering that both the President and the Deputy Secretary General of PAYU, come respectively from South Africa and Zimbabwe.

4. There is a need to develop a Continent wide Integrated Youth Development Strategy to compliment the African Youth Charter which has been signed and ratified by most African countries.

5. That there is a need to strengthen the African Agenda through integrated efforts and in relation to our international collaborations to address the domestic challenges facing the continent. This includes but is not exclusive to Youth Unemployment and the need to urgently respond to the vast challenges facing young people.

6. Education must become a continental priority and the need to implement the resolution of a common African language that will advance socio-economic and political understanding within the cultural diversities of the continent. Research must be commisioned to identify the single language as a medium of solidifying African unity.

7. Young people must be encouraged to study through exchange programmes (both academic and sports) in the continent in order to advance the African Agenda. This will harness cultural diversity and African unity.

8. Ensure that all our countries provide National Youth Service to drive skills development through vocational training and equally most importantly be used to drive our ideological agenda as former liberation movement.

9. There is urgent implementation of the SADC Protocol on Education and Training for youth. This must also include the Professionalisation of Youth Work as a means of strengthening youth development.

10.There is a need for the massive investment into youth development to allay the socio economic burdens that the youth buldge has the potential to create.

11. Young people must be encouraged to participate in all levels of the government of the ruling party in order to continue to advance the interest of young people both within the economic mainstream and those marginalised.

12.Women in the continent continue to face oppression under patriarchy and cultural and religious practices.

13.There has to stregthened and hardened interventions against ageing tendencies that continue to undermine the full development of the Continent.

14.Rape, sexual and physical violence has to end immediately through the tightening of legislation at all levels.

15.The AU must ensure the speedy implementation of the 50/50 gender quota at all levels and ensure that states equally implement the quota.

The Head of Youth Leagues and Wings of Political Parties of Former Liberation Movements further resolved as follows:

    That the next meeting of the Head of Youth Leagues and Wings of Political Parties of Former Liberation Movements be held concurrently with the Secretary Generals' Meeting at a date and venue to be determined by the Party leadership and organised by the hosting state;
    Further that we strengthen our own relations as youth wings of former liberation movement, by having our own continued session and exchange program outside of the Mother Parties.
    Finally, the Heads of Youth Leagues and Wings of Political Parties of former Liberation Movements expressed much gratitude to the ANC for hosting the meeting in Tswane, Gauteng.
    The invitations to the IPM of WFDY be extended to the attendees at the meeting.

Issued by the ANCYL, March 11 2013

Source - ANCYL
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