Celani Sikhakhane
The ANC Youth League wants over 40% of the ruling’s party’s national executive committee to be made up of young people. The complete NEC consists of over 80 members.
They also want younger ministers in the president’s cabinet.
Nonceba Mhlauli, the league’s convener of its national task team, said: “We want an NEC that will represent the demographic of the electorate which is the youth. That is why we want the ANC top six to be dominated by young people who will sit at the high echelons of the high decision making body of the ANC.
“Look, we feel insulted by President Ramaphosa for failing to appoint youth in his cabinet. That is why we want, even in the cabinet, to have youth representatives,” she told Newzroom Afrika.
In 2016 the ANCYL came up with this resolution but nothing happened after the mother body leadership complained that men would be left with only 20% representation since women are also demanding their 40%.
The ANC has been under pressure from young representatives after parties such as the DA and the EFF sent younger representatives to Parliament, some in their 20s.
In 2017 the DA sent Hlomela Bucwa, a 24-year-old, to the National Assembly while the IFP’s Mkhuleko Hlengwa went to Parliament at age 26.
The EFF has the biggest number of young MPs, most of them in their mid-30s.
