YALI distance themselves from YALI Mbewu #ZumaMustFall statement: iLIVE

14 December 2015 - 16:10 By Times LIVE
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
PRETTY IN INK: Fountain pens are a more romantic and individualistic alternative to a ballpoint pen.
PRETTY IN INK: Fountain pens are a more romantic and individualistic alternative to a ballpoint pen.
Image: THINKSTOCK

We have noted with some concern the confusion that has been caused by the article published on Times LIVE entitled: Young African Leadership Initiative asks ANC to recall Zuma for 'betraying SA and party'.

The article states that the statement published was from the Young African Leaders Initiative, which is factually incorrect. 

As Mandela Washington Fellows, we form part of President Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative, which was formed in 2010, which is not the same as the African Leadership Initiative group.

The YALI Mbewu group that issued this statement was actually formally called the African Leadership Initiative (ALI), which was formed in 2001/2003 as a Pan-African movement according to their website. 

YALI Mbewu is not linked to the US YALI programme but rather appears to be aligned to “Aspen Global Leadership Network”.

There may be similarities in our name and some of our objectives, however, what is clear is that we are distinct and distinguishable from this group.

As Mandela Washington Fellows, we hereby formally distance ourselves from the statement published from TimesLive and we would like to clearly state that we were not involved in the statement by issued YALI Mbewu, which was published as coming from the “Young African Leadership Initiative”.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now