Picture File: ANC Limpopo chair and Premier Stan Mathabatha. Picture: Gallo Images
The ANC Youth League in Limpopo wants premier Stan Mathabatha to reshuffle his Cabinet and appoint its provincial chair, Tony Rachoene as new MEC.
During its ordinary provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting last week, the league said those who should face the chop are MECs who are snoring on the job, hiding in street corners and staying aloof from communities that elected them into power.
The league called on Mathabatha to follow examples of other provinces and create a new provincial department that would cater for the aspirations of young people.
The new department, according to the league, should be the department of youth and people living with disabilities.
This department, the league said, must be headed by Rachoene. “Rachoene is a skilful, schooled and energetic young person who has the know-how to deliver the right services to our communities,” said league secretary Oliver Mabunda.
“He is the one young person who can lead this department with precision and distinction by creating jobs for young people – something we cannot say about the current crop of MECs under premier Mathabatha.”
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Mabunda called on Mathabatha to reshuffle his Cabinet and appoint young people, most of whom, he said, were loitering the streets of Limpopo, job-hunting with “beautiful employable qualifications”.
“We want Mathabatha to effect the reshuffling like yesterday,” said Mabunda. He said the roaring young lions of the north were also baffled by the number of unemployed youth in Limpopo.
Despite having three main pillars of the economy – agriculture, tourism and mining – young people in Limpopo were still in majority of those unemployed, he said.
“Youth unemployment in Limpopo is currently a staggering 65%. “We have planned to organise young people in the five districts to join us in a march to the provincial government offices and the mining chamber to demand the absorption of them in a place of work,” Mabunda said.
“We want the youth of Limpopo to participate fully in the mainstream economy and help to fight poverty and underdevelopment in their communities, the province and the country at large.
“We demand that all state-owned enterprises and boards, including the water board and the gambling board, put youth first in their recruitment drive.”
The league also accused some MECs, heads of departments, mayors and ANC councilors of failing to do their jobs. “The time for [hide and seek] is gone. It is all hands on deck from today,” Mabunda said.
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