With four days left before the ANC elects new leaders in the Chris Hani region, the ANC Youth League has announced its preferred candidates.
In a statement, ANCYL regional secretary Aphiwe Mkhangelwa said they were backing Wongama Gela for the chair position and Myolisi Toni as his deputy.
The young lions also want Lusanda Sizani to be re-elected as secretary, Noxolo Abrahams-Ntantiso as deputy secretary, and Madoda Papiyana to be trusted with the party’s regional purse.
They believe the five have what it takes to tackle the challenges the youth in the region are faced with.
“It is important to have leadership who are capable of navigating these challenges with skills, talent and character, and be adaptable to the changing material conditions,” he said.
Mkhangelwa said young people constituted the majority in the region and faced challenges of unemployment, lack of small business support, poverty, education, health, alcoholism and drugs.
Mkhangelwa called on the leadership they will elect on Thursday to intervene in the re-establishment of the district SMME youth-targeted fund by the Chris Hani District Municipality.
The ANCYL also wants:
- Student bursaries, learnerships and internships to be made available by all municipalities in the region;
- 30% of municipal budgets set aside for “localisation” across the district;
- Establishment of local youth units in all municipalities in consultation with the South African Youth Council;
- National Youth Development Agency offices to be reopened; and
- Youth jobs in the agriculture value chain, with water leaks and waste management; and voter education to be created.
“The above require selfless, honest, stable, coherent, hardworking, humble and collective leadership with integrity.
“As the ANCYL we are lobbying for the realisation of the 40% youth in all leadership structures of the ANC and government,” he said.