Youth alliance calls for Tito Mboweni’s removal as finance minister

The Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) has called for the removal of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.

The PYA includes the South African Students Congress Organisation, the ANC Youth League, the Young Communist League and the Congress of South African Students.

Briefing the media on Monday, the youth alliance says it has given Mboweni 30 days to voluntarily resign from office or they will escalate the matter to President Cyril Ramaphosa. As part of their first plan of action in implementing their call, the PYA is planning a march to the offices of the National Treasury in Tshwane on Tuesday.

It also forms part of their campaign launch for youth month 2021.

The PYA said the campaign would ensure the youth of South Africa was empowered to occupy strategic positions in government.

Some of their key demands include funding for free higher education, jobs for youth and the removal of the finance minister.

ANCYL National Youth Task Team spokesperson Nonceba Mhlauli said: “Material condition and damage done by Tito Mboweni and his associates can no longer afford us any option, but to demand for his removal for an end to austerity measures in government. This is the first of mass rolling action the PYA will undertake in the month of June.

The PYA slammed Mboweni for failing to address issues related to departmental budget cuts, and for not allocating enough money for education in the country.

“We do not understand why the National Treasury is treated like some special department that cannot be led by young people. So, as part of what we’ll be delivering tomorrow, is to say that we want to see the retirement of old people.

We are saying there are many young people who can lead those departments,” said Mhlauli.

The PYA added that it was not targeting Mboweni, but was challenging the government to use the Treasury to resolve some of the financial issues the country was facing in key departments, like education. ANCYL NYTT coordinator Joy Maimela said:

“We’ve got a mission to fulfil and we’ll do that through mass mobilisation. So, all these issues that young people have raised with us, we will incorporate it in our comprehensive memorandum.

“We are impatient; we are tired, as young people, with the current situation, where young people are reeling on the outskirts of the economy of this country.”