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CRITICAL: Ronald Lamola speaks during the ANCYL Dialogue on Freedom in Our Lifetime Workshop at Unisa. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSELO

 The nation should come first 

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Although not mentioning Zuma by name, Lamola instead said Zuma's predecessors - Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki - were national leaders who understood these priorities.

Speaking at an ANCYL policy workshop at Unisa's main campus in Pretoria yesterday, Lamola pointed to the increased investment and attention given to Zuma's village of Nkandla since he came to office as proof that the president prioritised his own backyard at the expense of South Africa's development.

"We are inspired by presidents Mandela and Mbeki because when they led, they understood that they were leading a nation," Lamola said. "It cannot be that because a president comes from a certain village, that village should now be turned into a little city.

"You cannot go to Mvezo (Mbeki's home) or Qunu (Mandela's village) and say that a president comes from here because Mandela and Mbeki understood that there needed to be national development first."

Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal has grabbed media headlines in recent months after millions of rands were spent on developing the area. Zuma's own homestead has benefited from suchdevelopment.

Zuma's leadership of the ANC also came under attack. National executive committee member Andile Lungisa described the current ANC leadership as "indecisive and weak".

Lungisa said about the party's reluctance to implement nationalisation of mines as policy: "We have a leadership that is not decisive. You can't have a debate on nationalisation for six months or two years. We have a weakness of leadership in South Africa (and) that is why we are told about investors."

He dismissed Zuma and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe's continued championing of The Second Transition policy discussion document.

"That document is a fallacy, comrades. We have only one process to deliver, political and economic emancipation," he said.

The league again called for the nationalisation of mines as well as expropriation of land without compensation as ways to end poverty among blacks.

Youth league head of policy and political education Abner Mosaase indicated that a new leadership would be elected during the ANC elective conference in Mangaung in December.

• This article was first published in the newspaper on 22 June 2012

Comments

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Thu May 23 10:22:03 SAST 2013 ::

Jun 22, 2012

Papage

Shut up and listen, this are the people who brought you to Power and now, what happened?
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Jun 22, 2012

truthhurt

Didnt i hear some one say the YL was silenced?
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Jun 25, 2012

Mdala

Sowetan this is old news and this Juju wannabe has been told to sit down or else?
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Jun 25, 2012

WakeUpSouthAfrica

Julius remote controlling this tool from the grave.
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Jun 25, 2012

hulas

zuma aka chimpazee is a severely compromised leader with no integrity at all.Immediately after his presidency zuma should be send to prison.
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Jun 25, 2012

lindsay

olebogeng you are a mogoe Mbeki is from Mvezo now do your homework, Zuma wants recognition and approval in Kzn so why not improve them, he know south africans like his dance moves they won't bother about service delivery isn't that why they voted him in power for because he can danceand sing.
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Jun 25, 2012

MicaParis

I personally do not agree with Comrade Zuma's plan to turn Nkandla into a City or even a serious shopping complex. The little village has got nothing to offer for South Africa to warrant that huge leap development. It will be a waste of money for our country because the village will not bring any huge economic or financial gain to the country. Is like buying a sack of oranges with R50 and gaining zero profit out of it because of giving it all away. Now if Mr President does not know about that well that is not how you do business. The money could have been used to rebuild Pilgrimrest in Mpumalanga which have a mine that will contribute to development and healthy business opportunities and also to develop fallen Agricultural land which ceased to operate after expropriation due to lack of skill and financial backlog. This are the problems associated with a leadership which is not educated and have got only one goal which is to loot the Government! But however I do not agree with the ANCYL on the issue of nationalizing mines and other big businesses in the country, the reason is because we do not have money to expropriate as our law does not allow us to expropriate without compensation as such paying for the seized land out of Government pocket will certainly bankrupt the country and most of all we do not have the relevant skill and experience to run those assets should we nationalize we will have a total shutdown and a serious economic disaster!
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Jun 25, 2012

KemangBosso

I think this boy has a point here,although under the influence of Julious Malema its now the time that something be done to the spear
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Jun 25, 2012

Dandan

MicaParis


we are human beings too like whites at Pilgrem Rest, at Nkandla there are also black kids that we want to see them being CAs,Engineers,Actarians,Economists, etc we suffered a lot during apartheid era where apartheid masters told us we dont desrve electricity,water,and all basic needs. Please Mica stop being inhuman can you be kind a bit like any ordinary woman for that kid at ikandla.
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Jun 25, 2012

Flemza

What must Zuma now do wena Lamola advise us , when it was Mandela it was all about Qunu , ok for Mbeki I don`t , what he was doing , I don`t remember anything , For the second Transition , its ok because ANC its realising that past policies they did not work , hence they came up with this document to discuss , this not like our Autocraticconstitutuion which favors a few who did not even vote for ANC if I were u Lamola I will make a massive contribution torwards this document instead of opposing it without an alternative.
My advise Lamola , without alternative and opposing for the sake of opposing , I will just keep quite and stop being a toothless dog
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