The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] condemns the arrogance of the office of the President of South Africa and the unwarranted attacks by the South African Police Service on students that were peacefully marching to the Union Buildings. Marching peacefully is a democratic right enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of South Africa and this right of students was today violated by those entrusted with protecting the constitution of our country.
Not so long ago, the police allowed farmers in the Free State to vandalize state property including police vehicles. The farmers were extremely violent and committed acts of crime in front of the police and got away with it. Today, students from working class and poor backgrounds were marching peacefully in demand of transformation to advance the objectives of our National Democratic Revolutionary agenda and they were met with a swamp of police offices who showered them with rubber bullets.
The YCLSA is even more angered by the fact that the police went around the Pretoria CBD on a witch hunt for students and arrested ten students in town merely for wearing yellow SASCO t-shirts. Currently, those students remain in police custody and students cannot go near the police station to check on their wellbeing due to the fact that the police are still on a witch hunt.
We are also aware that the targets of the witch hunt are the YCLSA National Secretary, the President of SASCO and the Provincial Secretary of the YCLSA in Gauteng. All these comrades are in a place of refuge and they are constantly being contacted to ensure their safety.
The leadership of both the YCLSA and SASCO is currently engaged in efforts to assist students that were harassed by the South African Police Service. Both the YCLSA and SASCO will not rest until those innocent students are released. There is no proof that those students were part of the march, and their sin was only to wear SASCO t-shirts.
It is also extreme arrogance that the President of the Republic of South Africa elected not to delegate or even attend to the students and receive their memorandum. On the contrary, the state being an instrument of class rule, deployed bullets and teargas on peaceful students.
The YCLSA calls upon all progressive forces to challenge the arrogance and reactionary posture of the state. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration has today demonstrated that the state only has the capacity to unleash police force on poor black people and not rich white farmers. We will fight the status quo.
Our struggle for the transformation of the higher education society will not be hindered by police force and the racial biasness of the state. We will continue to march for a revolutionary agenda which includes the transformation of TVETs and the higher education society. Transformation is a key pillar of our National Democratic Revolution and we shall never settle for a dishonourable peace or even honour the injustices of our society to earn peace.
Issued by the Young Communist League of South Africa
For Inquiries contact:
Dloze Matooane
National Spokesperson
066 570 3902
Whatsapp: 0826920127
Email: dmdmatooane@gmail.com
Dineo Mokoena
Media and Liaison
073 969 8532