ANC youth clash with Bay mayor
The ANC Youth League is calling for the Nelson Mandela Bay council to be dissolved and for a fresh run of elections.
It stems from it locking horns with Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani, who league leaders feel is not taking the youth seriously.
A meeting to discuss what programmes the mayor’s office youth desk was championing was cancelled at the eleventh hour on Wednesday, much to the frustration of Bay youth league leaders.
ANC Youth League regional secretary Luyolo Nqakula said Bobani’s behaviour and attitude towards the youth was regressive and reactionary – reminiscent, he said, of the DA-led coalition.
“We do not know why we [backed] such an extremely busy man such as the current mayor, who is kept busy by the criminal justice system.
“It has become evident he has a lot to account for before the courts, which we suspect may be [why] the mayor could not account to us about youth development.
“If this attitude persists we will not hesitate to initiate mass action against it, as we did with the DA-led coalition.”
He said Bobani’s chief of staff, Nombeko Nkomane, had told the league that Bobani held a meeting with chief whip Bicks Ndoni and speaker Buyelwa Mafaya at which it was decided that the youth development policy be relegated to Ndoni’s office.
“The relegation of this meeting is a clear signal that the mayor is either clueless about youth development, or that he has no regard for the youth or the issues affecting it.
“We cannot accept that a matter which resides in the office of the mayor is relegated to another office.
“We view this decision as undermining to our efforts to initiate discussions,” Nqakula said.
“The ANCYL Nelson Mandela Bay regional executive rejects the mayor’s actions without fear of contradiction.
“If anything, this is a reflection of a condescending and arrogant approach towards the youth, where three old individuals can sit in a room and think they have the authority to decide on the fate of young people.
“The underdevelopment of the youth, joblessness and destitute state is a situation we have a political responsibility to confront.
“In our quest to do so we will not hesitate to confront anyone with the anger they deserve who [proves] to be a barrier to youth development.”
Bobani declined to comment.