Members from the ANC Youth League’s provincial congress preparatory committee in KwaZulu-Natal are appealing to the party to ensure adequate youth representation in the party’s candidate list to the IEC.
Several members picketed outside the provincial offices demanding 25% youth representation across all municipalities in the province.
“This emanates from the lists processes and PR list and young people have been compromised in all eleven regions in KZN. In fact, there are some local municipalities that don’t have a reflection of young people at all. We are here to pass a clear message that the role of young people is not to fetch water for the elders or put posters for the ANC. We also have young people who are capable and skilled to be deployed in various structures of governance,” says KwaZulu-Natal ANC Youth League spokesperson Sbonelo Nomvalo.
Receiving the memorandum, ANC PEC member Kwazi Mshengu says they will consider the concerns.
“It has been an elaborate process from the beginning; the Youth League has been actually trying to ensure that they meet these demands from the level of BGM. Obviously, the ANC does not shut out its doors on anyone or on any matter. Even this matter that the ANCYL is raising will continue to be engaged by the leaders of the ANC as we have received the memorandum on behalf of the ANC officials. There is nothing that is too late in the ANC and we take decisions informed by material conditions and what is in the best interests of the ANC at that particular point in time.”
Protests across the country
There has been dissatisfaction over the party’s candidate lists across the country.
Two weeks ago a group of around 100 ANC members from Tshwane protested outside the ruling party’s headquarters in Johannesburg calling on members of the NEC to investigate the candidate list of councillors that had been put forward for the upcoming local government elections.
Members in Klipfontein also took to the streets last week to voice their dissatisfaction:
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe explains the party’s candidate listing process:
