Cape Town –The ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe has responded to the Eastern Cape ANC Youth League’s demand for 50% youth representation in parliament and councils.
The Youth League has called for 50% of MPs in legislative bodies to be young people, but Mantashe cautioned them to focus on winning elections and accept the leadership of elders.
He acknowledged the need for more young people in decision-making roles but opposed a complete “youth takeover”.
“I told them [the ANC Youth League] ‘you are going to lose campuses to the EFF because you focus on kwizinto ezinganifuniyo nina [things that you have nothing to do with].
“You must accept we are the elders here; we are in control,” Mantashe said, according to DispatchLIVE.
He was speaking at the ANC’s 2019 manifesto review in the Eastern Cape over the weekend
ANC youth leader Collen Malatji previously told The Citizen that Ramaphosa should give the league key government departments, including public enterprises, trade and industry, human settlements, transport, basic education, and higher education.
The youth league has been in conflict with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, accusing him of wanting to sell off state-owned enterprises, a claim Gordhan has vehemently denied.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu