WATCH: ‘We will not vote for you when you’ve done nothing for us’, youth tells Ramaphosa

A video of a young man confronting President Cyril Ramaphosa about government’s alleged failures has drawn sharp debate among the youth, with some telling The Citizen why they will – or won’t – be voting for the ANC.

As South Africans prepare for this month’s elections, the country’s youth are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s future.

But will they continue to support the African National Congress (ANC), the party that has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid? Or will they turn to alternative political parties, seeking change and new leadership?

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A viral video made waves on social media over the weekend. In it, a young man at a community meeting in the Western Cape seized the chance to confront President Cyril Ramaphosa about his grievances.

“We are pleading with you, president. If you want us to vote for the ANC work for us, so we can see your work. As the youth, we will not vote for the ANC when parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) exist for us.

“We won’t vote for you when you’ve done nothing for us. We don’t see anything that you are doing,” the young man told Ramaphosa.

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WATCH: Young man tells Ramaphosa to pull up his socks if he wants the youth’s votes.

@teenagestrays “soze sivotele wena thina”😭 CHEWED HIM UP #fyp #elections ♬ original sound – lee-lo

The clip has resonated with many young South Africans, who praised the man’s courage and directness in addressing the president.

‘SA is no Dubai’

The ANC has long been synonymous with the struggle for freedom and equality, but many young South Africans are increasingly disillusioned with the party’s performance on issues like unemployment, education, and corruption.

Tina Ngalo told The Citizen she wouldn’t vote for the ANC because it has taken too long to develop the country.

“It’s been thirty years of democracy and the ANC has very little to show for these three decades. The whole of South Africa, not even Joburg or Cape Town, is nowhere close to what Dubai is.

“But how could they achieve that when they lack consistency? They take time or just never finish most of the projects they start,” said Ngalo.

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Ngalo expressed discontent with the leadership of the ruling party, saying not only do they not cater to the needs of the people but continuously feed themselves on greed.

“There is so much corruption in parliament, but they are okay with it because they benefit from it.

“They make everything seem like it’s about or from the ANC. For example, if you want to vote for the EFF they threaten to take away NSFAS money, social grants and jobs, which is not on.”

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‘I am hesitant to consider alternative political parties’

Others said they feared change would worsen the current state of the country and saw no other options.

Angel Zwane said while she acknowledges the ANC’s alleged corruption, she sees no other option.

“ANC is like that toxic ex you can’t let go of. Where do I go if I don’t vote for the ANC? What should I vote for?” she questioned.

Maybe MK?

Palesa Makgatholela said she would not vote for the ANC because she felt it had failed to represent her as an unemployed young South African.

She said she struggles to find positives done by the ANC for people she knows.

Makgatholela said she is mostly touched by the corruption within the governing party and is considering voting for the uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) party led by former president Jacob Zuma.

“When Zuma was in play there was a lot of movement, in terms of business. A lot of our brothers and sisters got big projects and big opportunities.

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“As people from small towns, we tend to think perhaps these things [ANC providing opportunities] are happening in the city. But they end in Johannesburg and Pretoria, they never trickle down to us.

“When you are from a small town there is nothing much you can say you have seen the ANC do.”

Basani Mathebula said she was “definitely considering an alternative political party with the hope they will bring about change and fix the injustices and corruption the ANC has done”.

Mathebula acknowledged ANC’s continuous efforts to address the historical injustices and inequalities of the past. However, she said, the good the party has done does not outweigh the damage caused.

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“The ANC has been in power for many years but there are still a lot of issues the country is facing due to lack of supervision of tenders that they grant to curb challenges we face, such as unemployment and economic inequality.”

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Rofhiwa Muthikitha said he recognises the progress made by the ANC in certain areas, such as education and economic inequality, but believes “there is still significant room for improvement particularly in addressing the pressing issue of unemployment”.

Muthikitha said he will give the ruling party another chance while keeping an eye on them in their commitment to turn around the country and address issues like corruption, governance and leadership accountability.

“Despite reservations, I am hesitant to consider alternative political parties, fearing that the situation may exacerbate further,” he added.

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Sabelo Nyundu said he would still vote for the ruling party despite its many hurdles

“I will support them [ANC] as they seem to be the only party which is inclusive and doesn’t encourage violence in the country. They need to fast-track programs and employment, reduce corruption and remove incompetent officials,” said Nyundu.