 |
| Swaziland Activist at the 17th World Festival of Youth and Students. Photo by Mathieu Murphy-Perron |
As the Young Communist League of South Africa [Ufasimba] we are very disheartened by the move to grant the Swazi dictator R2.4 billion by the South African government through the Central Bank. This move was done in spite of all calls and lobbying to the South African government form internal and abroad activists and political organizations.
The current state of affairs in Swaziland is one that is characterized by serious lack of good governance and all accepted norms for a democratic state. Yet in spite of all the warnings the South African Central Bank neglected all pre-requirements not to make the payment as it usually does locally by setting macro-economic targets that are not worker friendly and detrimental to the poorest of the poor and largely outside of South Africa’s development needs.
This is the same developmental agenda by the Central bank and National Treasury that serves and promotes the rich, the exploiters, the owners of the means of production and a slap in the face to the of our workers and the poor as it is in Swaziland by serving the King the exploiter, the looter who slaps his subjects in the face with a poverty clap.
The behavior of our Central Bank should be condemned, and it is no different to that of the imperialists across the Atlantic in Bretton Wood institutions! As to why, in spite of all the norms and forms of good accounting principles the Central Bank gave away hard earned taxpayers money to a country long in support of the European Union in SACU and stood to opposed our Republic puzzles us. In fact this behavior is no different to the Tinkundla system in Swaziland by the Central Bank.
As Ufasimba we demand a full explanation from the ministry of Finance because this money could have been used to create youth empowerment programmes in line with our resolutions in the Jobs for Youth Summit and better still South African government could have attached a condition for a democracy in Swaziland.
The YCL will continue to give solidarity to the Swazi people in their struggle for Democracy. We further call for the unbanning of all political parties, release of all political prisoners and the return of all those in exile.
Issued by the YCL head office
YCL South Africa Alarmed by the slow rate of affirmative action
The Young Communist League of South Africa [Ufasimba] notes with shock the annual report of the 11th Commission on employment equity. The report reveals that affirmative action is moving at a slow pace and top management jobs are still occupied by whites.
Black people account for 86% of the economically active people but of that 86% only 12, 7% hold top management positions and 17, 6% holding senior management positions. It also shows that whites still hold 73, 1% of top management level positions. Whites are also favorites for new top management positions as they account for 59% of new recruits.
The YCL during its Jobs for Youth Summit noted the concerns over the slow pace of changing the ownership patterns in our economy. As it is now, most of the economic sectors rely on BEE Charters which only commits industries to not more than 30% black ownership. This has serious implications for both the economic and political stability of our country as it continues to exclude the majority from the mainstream economy. Action needs to be done in advocating for policy changes that should result in turning the situation around.
The YCL is shocked and disappointed at these statistics and also at the slow pace of affirmative action. Currently affirmative action has benefited Indian and white woman and not the intended recipients which are young people from previously disadvantaged communities, the working class and the poor. We call on both our government and all socio-economic partners to immediately implement drastic changes to interrupt the status quo.
Issued by the YCL head office
No comments:
Post a Comment