‘Youth should lead the Youth League’: ANCYL marches to Luthuli House

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) will on Friday march to Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters, to hand over an interdict to the sheriff. 

ANCYL convenor Kolobe Mamabolo confirmed that the plans for a nationwide march, expected to exceed 5000 demonstrators, were still in place. 

The interdict states that the Youth League wants to declare the National Youth Task Team (NYTT) illegal. 

The ANCYL has slammed the task team’s delay in reestablishing the league, after it was disbanded in July last year. The NYTT was appointed to oversee the rebuilding of the league. 

ALSO READ: ANCYL members plan march to hand over interdict, ‘demand organisation back’

Mamabolo, who has since graduated from the ANCYL, as he is now older than the prescribed age bracket of 14 to 35 years, said he wished to lead by example. 

“I want to be the first to leave, and to say this league belongs to young people, not the eldership.”

He now leads an ANC branch in Ekurhuleni. 

“I’m speaking as someone who has left the ANCYL. Let’s give these young people support for what is relevant. The youth are marching today because they understand their issues. Older people won’t understand, and are only concerned for their generation.”

ANCYL crisis committee member Katlego Mamabolo confirmed to The Citizen that “all systems are ready” for the march, and that the meeting point in Johannesburg was at Ghandi Square, at 1pm. 

“It’s going to be a peaceful protest. We are handing over an interdict to the sheriff. We expect people in their thousands will solidify the message that we [the youth] want to be in control of our organisation, to be able to shape our discourse and carve our future.”

Katlego said the march was also intended to “reemphasise that young people want to represent their organisation”.

He said that older members of the NYTT should ideally resign as soon as Friday’s protest action is concluded.

“The ANC has lost youthful agility. Older people don’t understand the younger populations and the challenges they face. It is very important to respond to challenges, and confront issues such as unemployment. These are our peers. 

“We can understand their challenges, and can adequately respond. No one in the NYTT knows [these challenges], and cannot adequately respond to them.”

Katlego said that with the local government elections looming, “we can’t keep passing a motion of no confidence”, adding that South Africa had a very young population. 

“Part of the problem is the factional politics within the ANC. People have abandoned the passion and the love that brought them to the ANC. They are now comfortable with the apparent liquidation of the party, at the expense of national interest.” 

Katlego’s message was clear: the youth should lead the youth league. 

“We have the agility, our peers are the ones on the ground, who share the same challenges and experiences.”

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