‘No Christmas to celebrate’: ANCYL says unemployed youth face hunger and despair

As South Africans celebrate Christmas Day, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) says millions of young people are enduring a grim festive season defined not by celebration, but by joblessness, hunger and widening economic exclusion.

In a statement, the league said the festive period has become a painful reminder of deepening inequality for a generation locked out of the economy.

“Youth unemployment remains the single greatest threat to social stability, dignity and the future of our country.

“With millions of young people unable to access work, education or economic opportunities, Christmas arrives not as a season of hope, but as a painful reminder of broken promises and deepening inequality,” the league said.

South Africa continues to battle one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, leaving many young people unable to support themselves or their families.

The ANCYL warned that prolonged joblessness has fuelled dependency, mental distress and a growing loss of purpose among the youth.

Against this backdrop, the league renewed its call on President Cyril Ramaphosa to formally declare youth unemployment a national disaster, arguing that the crisis has reached catastrophic proportions.

According to the ANCYL, the scale, persistence and social consequences of youth unemployment meet every threshold required for such a declaration, demanding an extraordinary and coordinated state response.

It said a disaster declaration would unlock emergency powers to mobilise resources, fast-track interventions, cut red tape and implement bold, youth-focused economic programmes at scale.

The league said such a move would also send a powerful signal that the government fully recognises the depth of the crisis and is prepared to act decisively.

The ANCYL called on all spheres of government to prioritise mass youth employment through industrialisation, skills development, localisation, expanded public employment programmes and targeted support for youth-owned businesses as immediate relief measures.

It also stressed the urgency of accelerating long-term structural reforms to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Reaffirming its political stance, the league said it would continue to press for economic justice for young people.

“We refuse to normalise unemployment and poverty as permanent features of our democracy.”

The ANCYL said South Africa’s youth deserve more than survival, “they deserve opportunity, dignity and a future that offers real hope.”

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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