POLOKWANE – Unless the ruling party comes to the table with jobs for young people, members of the ANC Youth League in Seshego Ward 13 say they will not assist the ANC with its campaigns in the run-up to the 2024 general election.
According to the regional Youth League chairperson of the Peter Mokaba branch, Ben Mamadi, 63% of the Milo Malatjie branch’s youths are unemployed and in order for them to canvass voters – many of whom are young people – the concerned group has involved all party structures to help them find employment.
The ANC’s regional spokesperson, Adolph Rapetsoa said even though the effort is welcomed, the group should be seeking employment for all youths and “not just specific groups in society”.
“If they joined the ANC for jobs, then it was for the wrong reasons,” he remarked.
“Their call for employment should not be attached to particular names, but be that all young, qualified people should be afforded work and education opportunities.”
He did, however, note that from May this year, the Peter Mokaba region has advocated that work experience prerequisites for recent graduates be scrapped nationally.
“Our request for the provincial structures to take this call to the national executive committee is underway. The frustration about unemployment among youths across the country should be dealt with, and we call upon all state-owned enterprises to assist with any job opportunities.”
While at a community health function by ward members in Zone 1 Dishoppong last Saturday, the branch’s youth deputy chairperson, Keitumetse Kekana said regional, provincial and national members “had not bothered to use their proximity to government to provide information on bursaries, internships or job opportunities, while we slave away for the party in the ward without any compensation”.
Kekana said their confidence to convince young residents to vote for the party has as a result diminished.
“How do I begin to convince a qualified and unemployed man with children that he should vote for the ANC, while I have been unemployed and I beg him for food,” she asked.
“We work for the party, but it does not benefit us. It is instead baggage, that we must carry door to door.”
The IEC and political parties have embarked on campaigns to encourage young people to vote for years, with 14 million of them still having been unregistered on June 14, according to Stats SA.
Kekana said the branch noted during the 2019 election that a large group of the township’s youths did not exercise their right to vote.
“Although it is unfortunate, we will use that to our advantage and not approach youths to vote. Our current leaders have made us lose hope in the electoral process. There is nothing we have not tried, but we remain unemployed.”
Cosas provincial president, Sello Mahladisa, provincial YL member, Phineas Sebola and national working committee member, Mandy Ramakgoakgoa were also in attendance at the function.
The idea, according to Mamadi, was to show organisational structures that the youths in townships have career establishments and ideas that require support.
