Collen Maine
President Jacob Zuma should look east to Russia for inspiration, and should model himself on Vladimir Putin.

ANCYL president Collen Maine said President Zuma should model himself on Vladimir Putin.

So said African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Maine, who was speaking at the league's economic freedom lecture in Durban on Wednesday afternoon.

"Be like Putin of South Africa," he urged Zuma.

"The policies of Putin are very progressive. We are more afraid of the rating agencies than the masses. The USA showed that they could elect an anti-markets candidate and they are not in junk status. Here we are receiving grants from social development, we are already in junk status."

As he made the statement, raucous cheers erupted from the about 2000-strong crowd.

Maine also took a stab at Treasury, saying it was a stumbling block to the attainment of economic freedom by the black people.

"Treasury is problematic. I'm not talking about Pravin [Gordhan], but Treasury. It is a stumbling block. In 1993, we were singing, 'Mandela freedom is in your hands'; now we must sing, 'President Zuma economic freedom is in your hands'," said Maine.

Maine said the white economy of South Africa has protection even from the ANC and said as the youth league wanted this "problematic rand" to fall.

"I want the rand to fall so that when it rises, it rises with us fully in control. Surely we can't fail under our Putin. So as your legacy, Mr President, please give us free education for the poor and please correct the finance department," said Maine.

He said the youth's patience was running thin and they will occupy the wine farms of the Western Cape in order for the rand to fall.

Addressing Dudu Myeni, the South African Airways chair who was sitting in the front row of the audience, he said: "Even on the plane, mama uDudu, there is turbulence, but it doesn't last long. It ends and the plane sails smoothly after that."