April 27 1994 shall always be an important date in our calendar, it is
>a date, that brought promises and hope amongst our people. It is the
>date that presented opportunity for all, the day of our historic
>democratic break-through. Many fallen heroes and heroines did not only
>wish to be part of it, but fought and died for it. The revolutionary
>alliance spent years and years in exile, in prison, underground and
>some even faced death in that long road, which was full of
>difficulties and challenges: the road of freedom.
>
>April 27 1994 saw those previously exclude from voting, franchised. It
>located the newly found “none racial” society in the international
>map. The economic sanction against the country from international
>community was uplifted. It saw the end of Apartheid era hardships.
>All of the above and many other opportunities which were presented by
>democracy took place in the terrain which was not of our choosing. The
>legacy of Apartheid Capitalism was to continue to haunt us as a
>nation. Our economy had experienced long term growth decline partly
>caused by the isolation of our country by the rest of the world. The
>1924 agreement between white workers and business meant that we were
>to inherit a segmented labour market: a minuscule white skilled labour
>against a large unskilled black labour.
>
>The distribution of resource was unequal, while government spending
>was almost 15 times on white education compared to townships and
>villages where blacks were stayed. The levels of unemployment were
>high; health care service on blacks was pathetic to say but the least.
> The distribution of income and wealth was hugely unequal. The single
>capitalist economy had created two nations in one country: that of
>blacks swimming in poverty and the rich whites living in opulence, far
>better that their brothers and sisters back in Europe. The income
>gini-coefficient rate was at 0.7%, making our country to be the
>highest in the world. It must be noted also that while this was a case
>many whites looted from public funds as much as they could so as to
>guarantee themselves a good life forever.
>
>Our story is a long sad one; it cannot be told entirely in this
>limited space, in summary we inherited a dysfunctional economy with
>foreign and domestic debt. All this took place when “victory” of
>capitalism over socialism was declared with the collapse of the USSR.
>Our people hoped that the new democratic government will speed up the
>process of service delivery, little did they know the fiscal
>constrains and many social and political challenges that will face the
>new “rainbow” nation.
>
>Above all this, ours was a negotiated democracy as opposed to violent
>overthrow of the apartheid state. While as YCLSA we are not advocating
>for violent revolution we equally do not support the wholesale
>compromise, filled with “sunsets and sunrise clauses” which
>voluntarily assured land thieves the land Right at the expense of land
>owners who were deprived of their land.
>
>FREEDOM FOR YOUNG WORKERS AND THE UNEMPLOYED
>
>As the YCL, we dedicate this freedom day to our history; to the fallen
>martyrs of our struggle whose blood guaranteed the rights enshrined in
>our constitution; to the traditions of the National Liberation
>Movement which stood firmly against personal accumulation, personality
>cult; self-praise; and to the cadres who sacrificed everything and
>fought for this country in exile, in the underground and some being
>jailed. We dedicate this freedom day to the first ever democratic
>government led by Nelson Mandela which in haste and dedication, build
>the foundations within which the legacy of apartheid will completely
>be overthrown. Through their efforts, we are hopeful that the
>socialist foundations they have laid shall form the basis within which
>our future shall be guaranteed.
>
>But we also dedicate this freedom day to the young workers in the
>factory floors who are daily exploited by labour brokers, denied even
>the basest of rights in the constitution and the labour relations act.
>The youth in the factory floors whom the dream of being part of a
>trade-union, of a decent wage, of normal working hours, of fair labour
>practice, a dream that freedom day was meant to deliver, remain out of
>reach.
>
>We dedicate this freedom day to the unemployed youth failed by the
>capitalist system whose main objective is to generate profit and
>maximise personal wealth. Those young people who stand on long queues
>looking for jobs, who fill in thousands applications with the hope of
>even an interview, those whom the ideal of a better life for all seems
>not to include them; we dedicate it to them. These are young people
>vulnerable to crime, prostitution and drug trafficking in order to get
>the ticket to a better life.
>
>We dedicate this freedom day to hundreds of communities who in the
>last ten years have gone out into the streets to hold their local
>municipalities accountable. To these communities, who refused to
>accept corruption and poor service delivery, we say to them; together
>through action we can do more in ensuring that the ANC and the
>alliance delivers all of these.
>
>FREEDOM DAY FOR FOR ANDRIES TATANE AND STRUGGLE SONGS
>
>A few days ago two incidents which should never be repeated, and which
>reminded us of the apartheid past, are worth mentioning. The brutal
>maiming and killing of Andries Tatane and the high court hearing
>against struggle songs in Johannesburg. These incidents are in
>themselves a serious threat to our democracy, to our history and to
>the confidence our people have restored in the police and judiciary
>system. Both these acts are a threat to national reconciliation, and a
>disgrace to those who fought for a better life for our people. As the
>YCL, we will continue to mobilise the youth to ensure that they are at
>the helm in defence of our democracy and its gains.
>
>ONLY SOCIALISM SHALL REALISE THE DREAM OF MANDELA
>
>Our missiles as we celebrate this freedom day should be directed
>against the ruling class, and the most barbaric, heartless and cruel
>system on earth: capitalism. This is a system that had created wealth
>for few at the expense of the majority of our people. A system common
>to both apartheid and our freedom. The common denominator of our
>poverty, of corruption, of greed, of inequality, of unemployment, of
>HIV/AIDS and of brutality in defense of the wealth of the few.
>
>As we mobilise our people to Vote ANC, we should not take them for
>granted. We must never turn them into uncritical voting cattle. We
>must mobilise our people to be true vanguard of our democracy. They
>must defend, deepen and strengthen our democracy.
>Our people must know that just as we are opposed to white monopoly
>capital we as also opposed to black fat cats who enrich themselves
>through state resources. We are against state parasitic black
>bourgeois even if they may be found in the ANC, COSATU and even worse
>if they can be found in the ranks of SACP and Young Communist League.
>To us a true democracy is that which place the need of the people at
>the centre.
>
>In a true democracy wealth must be shared amongst the people, land
>must be restored to those who work on it, and monopoly industries must
>be under the control of the people. Democracy must mean nothing else
>but bread, clothing, shelter and free basic need for all. All of these
>basic needs can only be realised through socialism, in our lifetime.