Ramaphosa urges ANC Youth League to mobilise young voters for next year's election

President Cyril Ramaphosa had called on the young people of the ANC Youth League to mobilise the country's youth behind the ANC in next year's local government elections.

On Monday, Ramaphosa addressed a group of delegates at the ANC Youth League's 27th National Congress at the University of Limpopo.

Ramaphosa praised the youth for their enduring spirit and immense contribution to some of the declarations made at the party's recent National General Council (NGC).

The Youth League congress, which took place from December 14 under the banner of "Economic Freedom and Social Change: Now, Not Later," saw Collen Malatji re-elected unopposed as youth league president.

Other office bearers to the youth structure include Francisco Dyantyi as deputy president, Tsakani Tshivhiti as secretary, Zama Khanyase as 1st deputy secretary general, Venus Blennies as 2nd DSG, and Jacob Tau as treasurer general.

This congress comes at a time when the ANC has suffered electoral declines in the general elections in 2024, with Ramaphosa saying the party's renewal is premised on ensuring that the ANC reclaims its dominance through the youth vote.

"We must accelerate our own organisational renewal, but for it to be sustained, it must go hand in hand with national rejuvenation and renewal of the country. Firstly, the renewal of the ANC must be anchored by an effective developmental plan for growth, prosperity, and social equity. That must be underpinned by action that needs to be taken to reindustrialise our economy for mass employment creation, and to transform the racialised and genderised patterns of ownership of the resources of our country," he said.

As a rallying call for the youth league to show what it is made of, Ramaphosa said: "It is you who must mobilise young people in their millions next year. You must ensure that they come behind the National African Congress".

Ramaphosa said he was inspired by the inputs and contributions made by the young people at the recently concluded NGC. Part of the call made by the youth structure has been for the government to hear the rallying cries of young people, who face the biggest brunt of the country's unemployment crisis.

"As shown by young people's contribution in participating in the National General Council, one of the wonderful experiences we had at the 5th ANC NGC was the participation of young people. There were more young people than ever before, and they were not disruptive. They argued these positions calmly, intelligently, effectively, purposefully, and directly. They did all this to show us that the ANC Youth League has come of age and is ready to lead.”

Earlier at the conference, Malatji called for the country's youth unemployment crisis to be declared a disaster.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za