Young communists tell ANCYL to stop automatically defending Zuma

The Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) has called on the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) to review its automatic springing to the defence of the Gupta family.

In a statement, the YCLSA said instead of attacking ANC cadres who have spoken out against the Gupta family, the youth league should call for investigations into the alleged behaviour of those Gupta family members and whoever they were collaborating with.

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“It is crucial for the ANCYL to review the automaticity with which some of the members of its leadership spring to the defence of the Gupta family that is allegedly 'Gupta-brokering' cabinet and other strategic appointment... for their own profit,” it said.

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The YCLSA said one of the key questions that should worry the ANCYL was how the Guptas gained prior knowledge of cabinet and other public appointments.

'Gupta Front'

“The ANCYL should rally the youth behind the policies of the ANC and represent their aspirations and interests, not ‎be converted into a component part of the Gupta Front.

“The YCLSA condemns in strongest terms possible all forms of behaviour that seek to defend kleptocratic oligarchy and all forms of private monopoly. This is why, as the YCLSA, we congratulate ANC... leaders who have come out in defence of the revolutionary values of our national liberation movement and alliance who have refused offers,” it said.

The ANCYL cast doubt over Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas' public admission this week that he was offered the job of finance minister by the Gupta family.

ANCYL president, Collen Maine, told News24 that under normal circumstances, Jonas would have told seniors in the party, including President Jacob Zuma, what had happened. 

Rejected offer

"A man of integrity will go to his boss and report, and [not] talk to him through the media. For us this amounts to putting the organisation into disrepute," Maine said.

On Wednesday, Jonas confirmed the Gupta family had offered him the job of finance minister, but said he had rejected it. 

In a statement, he said, "Members of the Gupta family offered me the position of minister of finance to replace then-minister Nene.

"I rejected this out of hand. The basis of my rejection of their offer is that it makes a mockery of our hard earned democracy, the trust of our people and no one apart from the President of the Republic appoints ministers."

Source: News24