The Chairperson of Bokone Bophirima ANC Youth League Collen Maine said as the ANC Youth wing seeks to restore itself and become the radical and militant youth movement it used to be, it must be guided by the discipline and respect which was possessed by its founding forefathers. Collen Maine who has been pronounced as the candidate of the province to become the next President of the ANC Youth League, was addressing a memorial lecture hosted at University of North West in Mahikeng campus.

The lecture was attended by members of the provincial executive committee, members of the executive of Ngaka Modiri Molema Region and leaders from other regions. Members of the progressive youth alliance which included COSAS, SASCO and Young Communist League were also present.

When addressing the lecture hall which was packed to capacity Collen Maine remembered a moment when the then leaders of the league – Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu went to Dr A.B. Xuma’s residence at Sophiatown to put forth their position on the radical changes find expression in the New Programme of Action of the ANC.

“Though they were expelled from DR Xuma’s residence in the middle of the night, forced to walk on foot back to Orlando, they had gone there, out of respect of his leadership, to engage him on the radical changes they sought to bring into the life of the ANC. This is radicalism. You do not fear to engage, regardless of how unconventional your approach is, but you carry that out with utmost discipline and respect” said Maine.

Collen Maine continued that the radical Youth League, in pursuit of the objectives of the Freedom Charter which are largely defined by the latter day generation of young people as economic freedom, need to be a disciplined force.

“Discipline and respect guided by education will assist us in restoring the radical character of the Youth League just like in the generation of Anton Mzuwakhe Lembede, Walter Sisulu, AP Mda and other leaders of that era. We need to understand the motive forces of our time and survey the terrain of the struggle accordingly. Sobriety of the mind will be a key asset which the ANC Youth League can possess if we are to firstly restore the radical character of the ANC Youth League and secondly achieve the objectives of the Freedom Charter” remarked Maine.

Maine also appealed to members of the league stop hauling insults at other candidates who are preferred candidates of others, must stop disrupting meetings of the youth league and those elected delegates to the national conference to be held in September must be disciplined.

-TDN

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