Durban - The ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal wants a quota of 40% young people when deployments are done - starting from next year’s municipal elections.
“It’s a call, comrades, we make to the ANC, and we are to lobby the ANC intensively to agree with us,” deputy chairman Kwazi Mshengu said at an ANCYL mini-rally at Lindelani in KwaDukuza.
Mshengu, however, said young people who would be deployed by the ruling party should not disappoint, and should be able to make a difference when deployed.
He warned that not every young person would make the cut in its proposed 40% quota.
“We want to say those who have skills, expertise and experience will make it easy for us to lobby the ANC to deploy 40% in the councils.”
Mshengu said those who were uneducated would be encouraged to go back to school to get qualifications.
“The administration of the municipalities and administration of the province must be led by qualified young people from our ranks. We don’t want to be led by people who don’t know the agenda of the ANC,” he said.
Mshengu also took a swipe at the league’s critics over their preferred candidates ahead of the ANC provincial conference planned for the weekend of November 5 to 8.
The league wants incumbent provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala to take over from chairman Senzo Mchunu.
However, the SACP in the Umsunduzi district recently described the league’s leadership debate as “divisive”, and warned members about being used as the voting cattle of certain individuals.
Also last week, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe lashed out at the youth body, accusing it of being unbecoming and divisive.
But Mshengu defended the role played by the league.
“We have direct interest in whatever happens in the ANC because we are the future of the ANC and this country. It is this ANC that we want to inherit, and inherit a united, stable and focused ANC,” he said.
“If there are things happening in the ANC, we will never keep quiet as youth league. We raise our views and we call on those who engage us to engage us politically instead of insulting us,” Mshengu said.
He made particular reference to the SACP.
“It is a political entryism and we are determined to fight it. We call on the real communists in the SACP to stand up and give clarity,” Mshengu said.
The SACP was not available for comment by deadline.
Daily News