Young Communist League. Of South Africa

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2 Young Communist League Of South Africa Second National Council Declaration and Resolutions YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 1 of 40

3 Table of Contents Declaration... 3 Resolutions Economic Transformation and Development National Development Plan Tackling Youth Unemployment in South Africa Cooperatives The mining sector Land Question The 2014 General Elections, Progressive Youth Alliance, the Party and State Power International context and solidarity The African Union International solidarity Political education on international work Swaziland Palestine Zimbabwe China Against Imperialism Proletariat internationalism, the international trade union movement Official inquest into the assassination of comrade Chris Hani Education and Health Basic Education Post-school education and training Health Policy, research and Gender related issues Policy and research Gender League Building, Finance and Relations with the SACP League building and SACP-YCLSA relations Finance and fundraising Media and the battle of ideas End notes YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 2 of 40

4 Declaration We, delegates from branches, districts, provinces and the National Committee of the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA), representing members from across country, convened in our National Council from 25 to 28 July 2013, in Kimberly. capturing our strategic goal for the universal emancipation of both human society and nature from capitalist exploitation, and three of the five key priorities facing our national democratic revolution in the unfolding period. Progress in these priorities is crucial, in particular to young people as they make up the majority of the unemployed and need quality health care and education. Our National Council was graced by the presence of Central Committee members of the South African Communist Party (SACP), including the 2 nd Deputy General Secretary and the General Secretary who addressed us, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) President who addressed us, and representatives from Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) formations, Congress of South Students, South African Student Congress and the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), who presented messages of support and participated in our deliberations. We received messages of support from a number of local and international solidarity organisations, among others the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against apartheid Israel, and were addressed by the Minister of Health. Our major task was to reflect on the conditions facing young people in our country and develop policy responses to the challenges and opportunities that they face. Being the 2 nd National Council since the reestablishment of the YCLSA in 2003, and the highest decision making body in between national congresses, we concluded all matters referred to us by our last, 3 rd National Congress held in December We assessed the state of progress in building the YCLSA and in advancing its aims and objectives since reestablishment. We convened at the time when, in our country and abroad, the multiple crises of capitalism are deepening and the impact is reaching its zenith, severely affecting young people, among others. Problems such as the crises of the balance of payments which hit many countries in the global South in the 1980s have resurfaced, posing serious challenges and driving the affected economies in the yoke of global loan sharks such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which do no good than harm through conditionalities they attach on borrowings. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 3 of 40

5 Negative consequences to democracy have partly as thus arisen, as the antidemocratic nature of conditionalities from global loan sharks lead to people losing sovereignty over economic policy making and direction in their own countries. Coupled with imperialist sponsored conflicts and wars, this is one of the sources for undemocratic changes of governments, as they are driven to act against, if not to disregard, the will and plight of the people through austerity and other measures which come from undemocratic institutions such as the IMF. In our country, millions of young people are unemployed, and suffer from class inequalities, exploitation and poverty. This reflects a toxic interaction between the endemic crises of imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism and the persisting legacy of colonial and apartheid capitalism despite progress achieved since the 1994 democratic breakthrough. Many young people have no access to skills development opportunities, such as apprenticeships, leanerships, internships and experiential training, because our economy is dominated by private enterprises which have a single motive, profit making. Accordingly, opening the workplace as a training space is considered a cost the measures pursue profitability and private accumulation. Private enterprises, including the unscrupulous training providers, have been exploiting the grants available from Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). The looming legal challenge by Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) on the new grant regulations is therefore nothing, but a ploy to defend the exploitation of SETA grants in which multi-millions in Rand value terms went down the drain since the late 1990s without a dent on the persisting challenge of scarce and critical skills and the so-called skills mismatch. Meanwhile, since the 1994 breakthrough our democratically elected government has made tremendous progress in expanding access to education through schools, colleges and universities, and policies such as the policy of no fee paying schools, schools nutrition programme and the reform of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). We convened at the time when, there are mushrooming political parties on the door steps of the forthcoming elections in 2014, reflecting a trend of growing political opportunism. Among the founders of some of these parties, are corrupt and consumerist elements who seek to achieve nothing other than personal aggrandisement and recovery from a variety of crimes including tax evasion and unexplained wealth accumulation. These, and other existing opposition parties, coalesce around attacks over the African National Congress (ANC), the SACP and the alliance these primary political formations of our liberation movement have with COSATU. Internationally, there are a number of significant and interesting developments, among others the forthcoming elections in Zimbabwe and Swaziland, next month. Growth in China has slowed down to successive single digits, among others affecting economies such as ours which are still largely reliant YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 4 of 40

6 on export of raw materials that are processed in other countries into finished, high value added manufactures. Reaffirming our dedication towards the national democratic revolution in its historical connection with socialism, we therefore declare our fifteen-point minimum programme arising out of our deliberations, as thus. 1. As part of the measures to confront youth unemployment and skills deficit, we shall engage with the government to adopt compulsory skills development targets for apprenticeships, leanerships, internships and experiential training for the youth, binding on both the public and private sectors. 2. The private sector has evaded responsibility in both the National Skills Accord and the Youth Employment Accord. This must come to an end as a matter of urgency. We shall embark on mass mobilisation to confront the private sector to exert pressure for skills development targets of at least three apprenticeships for every artisan, three internships and experiential trainees for every technician and engineer and all other professions; if need be we shall take radical measures that affect production. 3. legal intentions against the new SETA grant regulations; we shall couple this with mass mobilisation to expose BUSA for what it is, an association of the greedy and the exploiters. 4. We shall mobilise for the implementation of the youth employment targets as enshrined in the Youth Employment Accord, and the expansion of these targets with special focus on the private sector which, again, has by and large averted responsibility on youth employment targets in the accord 5. We will engage with the government and progressive social forces for the centralisation of the NSFAS and for the fast tracking of the establishment of the Central Applications System for universities. We will defend this noble objectives against negative forces whose ideology and vested interests in the higher education sector serve to retard and derail transformation. 6. We will engage with the government to establish provincial offices of the Higher Education and Training Department in order to improve effective interaction with stakeholders, in particular students and communities. 7. We will engage with the government about the challenges in the basic education sector including the finalisation and public release of the norms and standards for schools which we believe must reflect the best model that the national democratic revolution seeks to achieve. 8. We shall intensify our Joe Slovo Right to Learn Campaign which has become a standing campaign to expand access to education, transform curriculum and improve the quality and outcomes of learning and teaching. 9. We shall continue to engage in the discourse of policy development, among others on policies such as the National Development Plan (NDP), New Growth Path, Industrial Policy Action Plan and the Infrastructure Development Programme. We shall advance the last SACP Central Committee resolutions which we endorsed in relation to the NDP. Similarly, we shall advance and enhance the recommendations in our discussion document in relation to the NDP, including the need to industrialise our economy, to de-tenderise the state and the provision of social services, among others scholar transport. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 5 of 40

7 10. We shall campaign for an overarching strategy and long term vision on youth development, as we believe this is one of the areas where the NDP lacking. The National Youth Development Agency must engage in fresh, and this time meaningful, consultation with young people aimed at developing an Integrated Youth Development Strategy and reviewing the National Youth Policy which term of office is coming to an end. 11. We amended our constitution to increase the minimum quota for females from 30% to 40% in all our structures and decision making bodies, coupled with a league building resolution to embark on a qualitative programme of change towards achieving a quantitative target of gender balance. 12. We shall intensify mass recruitment, organisational expansion through the launching of new branches coupled with a thoroughgoing political education and ideological training, paying a particular attention on colleges and universities which we regard as part of the key sites of struggle and the battle of ideas as it is with other centres of knowledge production. 13. It is part and parcel of our duty to build the PYA strong, and as thus contribute meaningfully towards the rebuilding of the ANCYL. The best suited of all contributions requires all Young Communists to join the ANCYL, and in their own right as its members to take active involvement in defending the organisation and carrying forward its historic mission as entrusted by the ANC. Other contributions shall be left to bilateral relations to define as well as joint programmes with the ANCYL. 14. We shall in the forthcoming elections campaign for an overwhelming victory for the ANC as the leading formation of our liberation movement and alliance, and as our own organisation in our own right as its members. We will engage with our movement to ensure that the election campaign towards the youth is adequately resourced and that youth presence in the list of public representatives is enhanced in recognition of the realignments that have occurred in the political landscape of youth politics. 15. We encourage the working class of Zimbabwe and the youth, in particular those who are in South Africa to participate in the forthcoming Zimbabwean elections. We shall strengthen the Swaziland Solidarity Network, intensify the campaign for the release of Amos Mbedzi, unbanning of political parties in Swaziland and democratisation in that country. We shall adopt Israel apartheid week and use this as a platform to intensify international solidarity for the freedom of the Palestinians. We will build a left youth movement in the continent, aimed at achieving complete decolonisation and the mainstreaming of youth development in the African democratic revolution as a basis of an advance towards socialism. We will intensify our work in the world youth anti-imperialist movement. These measures are about deepening, advancing and taking responsibility for the national democratic revolution in line with our immediate principal task as the Communists, i.e. to fight for the achievement of the immediate aims and the enforcement of the momentary interests of the working class. As a youth formation we shall without being sectarian maintain and develop our focus on the youth, comprising among others of young workers and professionals, the unemployed youth and students. Aware that until capitalism is defeated there can be no sustainable solution, and recognising the national democratic revolution as the shortest route to socialism in YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 6 of 40

8 our specific conditions, the measures in our minimum programme shall be coupled with another principal task of the Communists, which is to take care for the future of the working class, i.e. communism to which socialism is a transitional strategic and necessary path. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 7 of 40

9 Resolutions 1. Economic Transformation and Development 1.1. National Development Plan Noting a. The calls and mobilisation for the total rejection of the National Development Plan (NDP). Some of the totalitarian rejectionist stances come from within our broader movement inclusive of the trade unions. These stances are often supported by ultra-left and populist organisations that are staunchly anti-anc, anti-alliance and anti-anc led government. b. On the contrary, there are calls and mobilisation for the NDP to be embraced in its entirety. Some of the totalitarian embracers come from within our broader movement inclusive of the ANC, and are often supported by liberal organisations that are staunchly anti-anc, anti-alliance and anti- ANC led government. c. Neither of the two contradictory totalitarian attitudes towards the NDP represents the way forward. d. The view in particular from some of the rd National Conference (Mangaung, 2012) resolutions that the NDP is a living and dynamic document that is not cast in stone and therefore needs continued engagement. e. There on the NDP, i.e. in one sphere there is a resolution calling for further engagements while in another there is a resolution calling for work towards the implementation; in one sphere there is a resolution calling for implementation while in another there is a resolution calling for a review (e.g. strengthening of the NDP), etc. f. The admission in the NDP (there are at least two versions of the document) that the NDP is neither complete nor perfect and by implication therefore that it needs further engagement and work. g. SACP interventio and our h. The NDP highlights the importance of long range planning notwithstanding that it is not a long term plan by or in itself, i.e. its range is only up to 2030 and its status as a plan is weak while some of its targets for the 2030 range could actually be achieved in one Annual Programme of Action or much earlier than i. The greatest fault in the NDP, which has its roots in its earlier analytical diagnostics report, is its lack of a clear-cut class analysis of the challenges facing our society and associated driving forces. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 8 of 40

10 j. Consequently, the NDP fudges the tasks the South African society is faced with. This fudging is linked in our view with a miscalculated assumption for either a real or possible cross-cutting support for the NDP on all fronts from all walks of life on what is, actually, and on the contrary, impartial proposals towards a complex of the outcomes of deeper structural class contradictions and forces which by their very nature are inherent with and give rise to antagonistic and irreconcilable socio-economic and political relations. k. In the process the NDP failed in its economic policy epicentre to give effect to and propel into a forward motion the biasness on fundamental economic questions principle of maintaining the standpoint of the working class when handling all matters and policy questions. which clearly states that the ANC must be biased to the working class and the poor. l. The National Planning Commission (NPC) excluded an overwhelming majority of our people through its poor, or lack of proper, or lack of meaningful, consultation notwithstanding some consultation activities the commission conducted through latest technological means of communication. The consultation activities undertaken by the NPC were elitist and in turn excluded an overwhelming majority of our people who do not have those means of communication or access to them. m. A detailed analysis of the NDP reflects that the NPC left some of the government departments or associated legislative and strategy documents when, or if it, consulted accordingly. This is partly revealed by a detailed analysis of the Mangaung resolutions, examples being resolutions on economic transformation and the NDP, and international relations and the NDP. n. The Mangaung resolution on economic transformation and the NDP asserts the continued relevance of policies such as the New Growth Path (NGP), Industry Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and strategic infrastructure development programme. In our view, these policies are not taken seriously, or are contradicted if not given a revisionist interpretation from that of their founding theses, or are at all not even referenced in the NDP. o. This reveals one of the failures of the NPC in developing both its earlier diagnostics and the NDP, i.e. the failure to review progress, assess impact and evaluate the outcomes, and thus determine whether we either need to continue and strengthen or discontinue and part ways with the policies (or at least some) that were adopted in the post-1994 period. p. Instead the NPC asserts through the NDP that one of our key weaknesses in the post-1994 period lies with the failure of the government to implement policies. This argument reinforces an incorrect perception that the post-1994 policy framework was all sound and in line with the objectives of our revolution. q. On the contrary, and without undermining the challenges of implementation, there were policies in the post-1994 period (e.g. Growth, Employment and Redistribution or GEAR, and in the early 2000s aggressive liberalisation and de-regulation) which were implemented (and some dictatorially) but caused more in setbacks (which we are still battling with to this day and more likely for a foreseeable period of time) than in a better life for all. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 9 of 40

11 r. Meanwhile, there were un-implementable (i.e. poorly thought) policies such as the attempted privatisation in the energy (i.e. electricity) sector in the late 1990s. s. The Mangaung resolution on international relations, as another example of the NPC excluding in its consultation some of the government departments or their existing policies/strategies, clearly states that the NDP did not draw lessons from the White Paper on international relations and cooperation. The resolution calls for the NDP to be strengthened, clearly implying, in our view, that as a result of the NPC not consulting with the White Paper the NDP is weak on international relations and cooperation. t. The structural and functional weaknesses of the NPC highlight the importance of building and developing a different, organic state planning commission which has institutionalised and structural links with government departments and lower spheres as well as such other state agencies in so far as it is necessary Further noting a. The NDP does not provide a clear and coherent vision, a strategy or plan on how to deal with youth development and the many challenges facing young people, its proposals on what it calls a youth lens notwithstanding. b. The NDP does not resonate with the Youth Employment Accord which represents the basis for a progressive advance in that the NDP is propagating: i. a subsidy to the placement dominated by labour brokers whereas as the YCLSA we are opposed to labour brokers; ii. tax incentives for employers to reduce the so-called cost for hiring new labour market entrants (i.e. a code for the youth or young people) this could be the youth wage subsidy we are iii. fundamentally opposed to as the YCLSA; a some sort of a two- or multi-tier labour market based on low wages for the youth (i.e. coded as new labour market entrants which we are opposed to because of its potential to deepen exploitation. c. By placing growth as the leading economic policy objective from which other economic and social and therefore by embracing the failed neoliberal trickledown policy mantra on growth the NDP does not fit in with but directly contradicts the primary thesis of the New Growth Path (NGP). The NGP places employment creation and decent work on the leading edge in relation to growth. d. The NDP makes no reference to and essentially undermines the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) or industrialisation. For instance the NDP favours the domestic oriented sectors. In turn the NDP does not link these sectors to manufacturing or industrialisation (e.g. there are equipment, tools and materials used during the productive activity in the domestic oriented sectors; the NDP does not think about the manufacture of these means of production). e. The economic policy epicentre of the NDP is not in line with both the latest consensus of a radical second phase of transition, neither does it reflect any new content to shift away from, by taking advantage of the space YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 10 of 40

12 that has been opened by the present global economic crisis that was caused by, neoliberal policy prescriptions. Based at least on this ground the NDP, in particular its economic epicentre therefore needs to be reviewed. f. I consensus of a radical second phase of transition. g. A menu of several objectives and targets relating to the youth in what the NDP calls a youth lens which in our view was more likely developed as an afterthought arising out of browsing the NDP once it was completed Thus resolved a. We endorse and shall advance the broad thrust of the recommendations in the SACP intervention, and our discussion document National Development Plan b. We must use this process and site of struggle (i.e. national development planning) to turn chief attention in development policy towards defining the transition with which development policy must be realigned. c. Basically, the second phase of our transition must be characterised not only by a radical, but also by a revolutionary advance in the pursuit of the completion of the national democratic revolution. It must: i. rollback the compromises of our first phase of transition and go beyond them; ii. eliminate the triple legacy of colonial, apartheid and patriarchal socioeconomic and political relations of production and in their stead establish and develop new once at least in line with the Freedom Charter; iii. iv. help us achieve an advance towards freedom from imperialism; rollback neoliberalism from our macroeconomic policy and move forward on the basis of new macroeconomic policy fundamentals aimed at supporting industrialisation and expanding access to productive work to the millions of the unemployment and the poor. d. What we want the national democratic revolution and the struggle for socialism in their interconnection to achieve in particular in the sphere of the economy, in terms of ownership and control, are, at least, i. the restoration of the wealth of our land and labour back in the hands of the people as a whole, majority of whom is the working class ii. an advance towards the realisation of socialisation and the replacement of the existing despotic market control and dominance with democratic control and accountability. e. We must therefore build an economy that is characterised by the prevalence of an effective and thriving public sector with socialised ownership and control emerging as a leading form of economic organisation. This must find profound expression in the policy content of the second phase of our transition. f. Accordingly, we must intensify our struggle and embark on a decisive path to de-tenderise the state, build an efficient, effective and capable democratic developmental state with the capacity to deliver public goods and social services. This must at least involve: YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 11 of 40

13 i. the in-sourcing back in the public service of all strategic functions that have been outsourced (e.g. the development and maintenance of public infrastructure, roads, schools, clinics, hospitals, etc.; the delivery of books and learning materials, scholar transport, the delivery of social services; etc.); ii. further development and expansion of the public enterprises sector coupled with a vibrant co-operatives sector as a supply base where the state does not directly produce the goods and services required for public delivery. g. As an integral part of the Communist Party, our engagement in this process (i.e. national development planning) of the national democratic revolution must be guided by its connection with our vision of socialism in its interconnection with the ultimate goal of communism, and therefore our strategic slogan of must provide central guidance. h. Our struggle must therefore streamline a fight to achieve the strategic objective of winning control over productive forces from the capitalists and at the highest level from their system of imperialism and its latest forms of manifestations. Our goal must be to free, release and develop productive forces as rapidly as possible in order to advance towards complete political liberation and socio-economic emancipation. i. The YCLSA must fight for the development, expansion and diversification of our productive capacity. In particular we must build, develop, expand and diversify manufacturing and vigorously advance and deepen the beneficiation of our primary, natural and mineral resources. In terms of skills and knowledge base, this would require the development of adequate intellectual capacity, on a technical basis at least artisans, technicians, engineers and scientists. j. We must therefore press for upgrading from strategies concerned with mere involvement in execution (i.e. manual labour process) which is often linked with the recruitment of and strategies to attract foreign direct investment without repositioning our economy to be involved in conception (i.e. process and product Research & Development). Instead we must shift the character of our economic activity towards a combination of more involvement in both manufacturing labour process and Research and Development for products and production processes. k. The YCLSA must therefore campaign for increased resources to be allocated to post-graduate studies, Research and Development, and thereby reposition our economy to participate in process and product inventions, discoveries, designs, innovations and in breaking new grounds. This should contribute in altering property relations and must involve pressure on investments to increase resources towards Research and Development as well as associated skills transfer and knowledge imparting on all functions and layers of the production process as a whole. l. We must link the service sectors where manufactured products, tools and equipment are used with localisation through manufacturing as part of our strategies to develop our productive capacity, advance and diversify manufacturing towards high value added products and industrialisation. m. Pressing for our economy to advance and diversify in the field of manufacturing must not mean that our economy should take a back seat on other productive activities. Therefore we must press for the broadening and YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 12 of 40

14 support for other strategic areas beyond both manufacturing and the existing Industrial Policy Action Plan. n. The proposals discussed in the Party for the role of the state and its intervention and involvement in the economy, including but not limited to state ownership, control including regulation in the mining, energy and financial sectors must be enhanced, find profound expression in national development planning and implemented decisively. o. The YCLSA must take active involvement in the Party-led Financial Sector Campaign aimed at achieving transformation in the financial sector. The objectives that this campaign seeks to achieve must find profound expression in national development planning. p. We must campaign for the adoption and enforcement of local content requirements based on a strategic assessment of development objectives and priorities and the need to attend to the challenges facing our people and their participation in economic activity. q. As a youth formation we must, without being sectarian, maintain focus on youth development within the general framework of a political and ideological guidance from the fundamental principles of the Party and its programme. We need to develop ourselves to play a leading role in confronting the challenges facing young people and mobilising them to seize available opportunities while bringing it to the front on all occasions that a better life for all is not possible under capitalism but can only be realised more progressively under socialism and fully under communism. We must therefore develop ourselves to become a leading force of young people against the system of capitalism. r. Our immediate tasks arising out of this National Council must include the advancement of a long range and far-sighted planning (e.g. Where must our society be by the centenary of the Freedom Charter and the 1994 democratic breakthrough and what must be done every decade and every five years articulated annually through short term Programmes of Action in order to arrive there successfully?). i. this must integrate youth development; ii. similarly, the review of the National Youth Policy which must be underway and the development of Integrated Youth Development Strategy/Plan which the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) failed to produce in its first term of office must reflect the principle of long range and far-sighted planning and be realigned with the theory of the second phase of transition. s. The NYDA must therefore engage in fresh and this time around meaningful consultation and develop such an Integrated Youth Development Strategy/Plan along with the work to review the National Youth Policy. t. W commission which must in our view have structural links with government departments and lower spheres, and in addition its composition must cater for youth representation. The planning work of the commission as such must cover youth development, and thenceforth be carried out in a collaborative manner with the NYDA. u. We endorse as amended below the following policy interventions and measurers from the NDP as broadly resonating with the policy alternatives that we have been advancing as the YCLSA, and we commit to work YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 13 of 40

15 towards achieving their realisation which we believe will contribute meaningfully in youth development. i. A nutrition intervention for pregnant women and young children. ii. Universal access to two years of early childhood development. iii. Improving the school system, including increasing the number of students achieving above 50 percent in literacy and mathematics, increasing learner retention rates to 90 percent and bolstering teacher training. iv. Strengthening youth service programmes and introduce new, community-based programmes to offer young people life-skills training, entrepreneurship (including co-operatives) training and opportunities to participate in community development programmes. v. Strengthening and expanding the number of FET colleges to increase the participation rate (but the NDP target of 25 percent must be vi. reviewed). Increasing the graduation rate of FET colleges to above 75 percent towards 100%. vii. Providing full funding assistance covering tuition, books, accommodation and living allowance to students, with initial focus on the needy while advancing the strategic objective of free quality education. viii. Developing community safety centres to prevent crime and include youth in these initiatives. ix. Expanding learnerships, in addition apprenticeships, internships and experiential training, and make training vouchers directly available to those who are looking for work. x. Formalising the graduate recruitment scheme for the public service to xi. attract high level skills. Expanding the role of state-owned enterprises in training artisans and technical professionals. xii. Making education compulsory up to Grade 12 or equivalent levels in vocational education and training. v. We must continue and intensify our struggle for the banning of labour brokers; the struggle against a two- or multi-tier labour market in favour of a single employment contract; the struggle against a youth wage subsidy; the struggle against exploitation in general and strategies that deepen exploitation. w. The resources that were reserved by the National Treasury for its agenda of a youth wage subsidy must be enhanced and redirected towards investment in skills development for young people in the form of bursaries and scholarships both in colleges and universities here at home and abroad with focus on scares and critical skills, apprenticeships, learnerships, internships and experiential training. x. We must devote our development policy capacity in developing, elaborating and articulating a scientific outlook on development. We must study policy propositions using class analysis based on dialectical and historical materialism. When dealing with the way forward in policy development we must do so first and foremost from the standpoint of our own resolutions and policy work. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 14 of 40

16 y. Those areas in the NDP that are progressive and fit with the tasks facing the national democratic revolution must be preserved and redeveloped in line with the new alliance consensus of a radical second phase of our transition towards a complete revolution while those areas that are offline must be discarded and replaced accordingly; as the YCLSA, we must take a lead in developing clarity about all these areas with focus on the youth as we have already started through our engagements with the NDP and resolutions arising out of our deliberations in our Second National Council. z. We must consolidate and lead this strategic development planning agenda among young people in all key sites of struggle and power as we advance, deepen, defend and take responsibility for the national democratic revolution as the shortest and most suitable route to socialism in the specific conditions of our society. aa. Instead of the polar opposites of totalitarian rejectionists and embracers of development policy: i. we must on the contrary be specific about, and distinguish between, what is fitting with the tasks facing the national democratic revolution on the one hand and what must be scrapped on the other hand; ii. in line with the character of the Communists as the most advanced and resolute section of the working class we must at all times strive to take a lead and put forward development policy alternatives instead iii. of waiting to critique state policy propositions; we must as such develop our capacity organisationally to engage in leading policy research and development, advocacy and campaigning. bb. The YCLSA must engage with, and its cadres in, the Party about these perspectives as it must be with, and in, all centres of power, including our broader movement and the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) Tackling Youth Unemployment in South Africa Noting a. That the youth make up the overwhelming majority of the unemployed. b. The Youth Employment Accord. c. That the private sector commitments in the Youth Employment Accord are weak. d. ce on national development objectives and rollback its dominance. e. A. f. That there are young people who do not have a National/Senior Certificate or equivalent qualification in vocational education and training. g. That there are many young people who do not have access to skills training opportunities, apprenticeships, learnerships, internships and experiential training, and that this number consists of those who have met academic requirements in colleges, universities of technology and universities Believing a. If it persists and remains consistently high youth unemployment represents not only a socio-economic challenge but also a political threat, and therefore needs to be tackled decisively. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 15 of 40

17 b. Education, skills training and development are, though not the only strategic objectives, vital in dealing with youth unemployment. c. If transformed, further developed and diversified the college sector can play a vital role and contribute meaningfully towards skills development and reducing unemployment We thus resolved a. Our immediate tasks following this National Council must include a campaign directed at the big conglomerates and multinational corporations as well as the private sector in general. We must lead a mass mobilisation programme to the offices of these companies in all sectors of the economy and to the various sector organisations that they belong to. Our demands must include the adoption of youth graduate development programmes and compulsory skills development targets for apprenticeships, learnerships, internships and experiential trainees, covering scarce and critical skills as well as other strategic areas. b. We must campaign for the adoption and enforcement of youth skills development targets for the state (i.e. state owned enterprises, entities and agencies as well as public institutions) c. We must press for the state to adopt compulsory skills development targets for both the public and private sector. d. We must enforce the youth employment targets that have been achieved in the Youth Employment Accord and embark on a campaign to expand these targets. e. We must continue with and intensify the mobilisation for students to choose vocational education and training streams and start with these as early as Grade 10. This must be coupled with a drive to achieve the transformation of the Further Education and Training (FET) sector into a vibrant Vocational Education and Training sector which offers cutting edge qualifications. This must therefore involve curriculum transformation and diversification of education and training programmes to cover the wide range of productive economic activities, scares and critical skills as well as talent development. f. We must campaign for the reduction in and ultimately the elimination of the challenge of the high rate of NEET among young people. g. Amongst others, confronting the challenge of the high rate of NEET including: i. a review of assessment policy, particularly the consolidation of a new policy direction that allows for second chances in the schooling system; ii. this must be coupled with a campaign to achieve full development and adequate resourcing of ABET and Community centres; iii. the capacity of ABET and Community centres must be developed and iv. enhanced to serve the needs of skills development for young people; the state must commission research into and deal with the causes and drivers of the challenge of a persisting dropout rate in schools, colleges and universities. h. The NYDA must be adequately resourced to boost its capacity on dealing with youth unemployment. The NYDA must be accessible, and the YCLSA must impact meaningfully on the NYDA and its legislative development and YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 16 of 40

18 provide it proper direction. This should involve engagement with the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA). i. The structure of our economy needs to be fundamentally restructured and transformed in order to deal with the challenge of a persisting high rate of unemployment which affects mostly young people. Amongst others, this would require the elimination and inverting of the semi-colonial legacy which is partly characterised by more reliance on the export of raw materials and primary goods coupled with varyingly undeveloped, under- and leastdeveloped manufacturing and excessive reliance on the import of high value added manufactured products. j. The discussion on the retirement age must be revived with a detailed assessment and evaluation of both advantages and disadvantages of early and late retirement vis-à-vis youth un/employment and the conditions of early retirees Cooperatives Noting: a. Cooperatives are a site of fighting youth unemployment on the ground and have the potential of meaningfully contributing in transforming the social relations of production, including ownership and control, and dealing with inequality and poverty Therefore resolved a. Sufficient funding, support, capacity building and preferential treatment, including but not limited to constant legislative and regulatory review must be pursued to advance cooperatives development. This must incorporate a dedicated focus on youth cooperatives. b. Each YCLSA province and district must mobilise, develop capacity and support young people to establish sustainable cooperatives by taking advantage of the opportunities that exist in the respective provinces and municipalities as well as in response to their challenges. c. The YCLSA must develop and provide guidance to the youth cooperative movement, including consolidating the apex body of youth cooperatives, work with and lead it towards developing a vibrant youth cooperative sector. d. The YCLSA must become a leading political force and voice for youth cooperatives, and thus nationally mobilise and build the capacity of young people to form sustainable cooperatives. e. As part of building the capacity of the YCLSA on cooperatives the National Committee should consider establishing a dedicated cooperatives development unit for youth cooperatives modelled around Tora Tamana Cooperatives Centre. f. We must ensure that government departments and lower spheres and related agencies including the NYDA each have a sound programme of and capacity including dedicated directorates if necessary and viable for developing and sustaining cooperatives with youth cooperatives as integral part. g. The YCLSA must campaign for systematic cooperative capacity building and training through colleges and universities as well as short courses, workshops and seminars. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 17 of 40

19 1.4. The mining sector We note that: a. The current regime of ownership and control in the mining sector, labour exploitation by capital, the extraction and export of our mineral resources as raw materials instead of local beneficiation, environmental and social degradation, are all not sustainable Believing that: a. If left uninterrupted, untransformed and therefore to go on as it is the current mining regime is inevitably leading to a cul-de-sac where South Africa would have been hollowed out and ruined of its mineral resources that would be depleted without any sustainable development already there are areas in the former mining capital of Johannesburg that are characterised by many ruins that reflect depleted mineral resources, holes and acid contaminated water without any accountability by the mining companies that caused the problems We therefore resolved a. Mining houses must contribute towards development in mining areas and be held accountable for environmental and social degradation (which must be reversed). b. We support increased role of the state in the mining sector, through legislative and regulatory interventions, direct ownership and control and, to this end, the state must expedite the process of consolidating and propelling the operation of a state owned mining enterprise. In our view, new mining licenses must be channelled towards the state owned mining enterprise as part of the strategies to roll back the entrenched private interests in the mining sector and to return back the wealth of our country back to the people as a whole. c. The mining licence framework must be reviewed to maximise public benefit from our mineral resources as opposed to the dominant regime of private capital accumulation. This must include but not limited to: i. the erection and development of new structures of royalties and progressive taxation; ii. review of mining licenses to give effect to beneficiation as opposed to the currently dominant trend involving the extraction and export of our mineral resources as raw materials. h. The mining sector must be streamlined to benefit cooperatives Land Question Noting a. The centenary of the 1913 Native Land Act which legislatively expropriated our people of their land and paved way to further violent expropriations against them. b. Unless the land question is settled our revolution would not achieve one of its fundamental objectives of restoring the wealth of our land back to the people as a whole. c. Land reform and restitution that culminate in the land handed over back in private hands regardless of race will plunge the country into an endless process of unresolved land question. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 18 of 40

20 Therefore resolved a. The state must expedite the process of returning back the land in the hands of the people as a whole. b. The YCLSA must campaign for land restitution to be accompanied by support to the people as stipulated in the Freedom Charter and facilitate both capacity building and training in order to achieve productive land use. c. We must campaign for the abolishing of private ownership of land as a natural resource in more of less a similar way as we have done with mineral resources. This must be regarded to be the most sustainable form of land restitution in order to give effect to the principle that South Africa belongs to all who live in it. d. Therefore we must campaign for a shift away from the private-to-private hands land redistribution regardless of race. e. Coupled with the above the democratic developmental and socialist states successively as the custodians of the people must apportion and regulate productive land use. f. Land must not be apportioned to the hands that do not use it productively, and the democratic developmental and socialist states in their successive order must guide land use by among others defining appropriate development priorities. g. The YCLSA must campaign for the amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa to abolish all barriers to land restitution and and market based models. h. Ultimately, land must be appropriated without compensation as and when it becomes necessary in the interest of the people as a whole. 2. The 2014 General Elections, Progressive Youth Alliance, the Party and State Power 2.1. Noting a. The South African population is significantly made up by the youth. b. More and more youth vote is becoming fiercely contested, resulting in all sorts of manoeuvres by negative forces to capture young people politically, ideologically and de-educate them about the South African history and their role in it. c. Reformist notions such as the so-called born-frees, the opposition and an essentially racist liberal agenda aimed at delegitimising apportionment of blame for the many economic, social and political ills that the South African society is faced with as an outcome of historical realities might prevail if left unchallenged. d. The political landscape has for some times been restructuring through a variety of strategies and tactics, involving but not limited to: i. some opposition parties placing young people within their leadership ranks (in and outside parliament) and fronting them against the ANC and our alliance in a manner that undermines the leadership of our movement; ii. the formation of political organisations in which leadership ranks are young people who, similarly, behave in a manner that undermines the leadership of our movement. YCLSA/2 nd National Council/25-28 July 2013/Declaration and Resolutions/2013 Policy Documents/ Page 19 of 40