ANC must go beyond slogans – youth league

The inability to position itself beyond populist slogans and revolutionary phrases is what is causing the ANC to lose votes from the youth.

This belief emerged from an executive committee meeting of the ANC Youth League in the Bay, held on Thursday at Florence Matomela House.

In a statement, sent on Monday, the Bay ANCYL also expressed concern about the exclusion of veteran politician Lulu Johnson from the ANC’s national assembly list.

ANCYL regional secretary Luyolo Nqakula said the meeting led those present to reflect on the work undertaken by the organisation since the last election, as well as its successes and challenges.

“We once again reiterated the fact that the organisation has, over the years, lost a significant amount of influence among the more modernised youth populace and that this was caused by the inability to position itself beyond populist slogans and revolutionary-sounding phrases with no practical meaning to the youth in our communities,” he said.

“We agreed that there is an urgent need for the organisation to establish practical programmes that will champion the struggles of young people.”

The meeting also deliberated on other pressing issues, including the escalating gun violence in the metro in which a number of people had been gunned down over the past few months, Nqakula said.

When it came to Johnson, he said the youth league believed Johnson was “a tried and tested leader of the ANC and a product of the mass struggle of our people”.

He said Johnson was a former ANCYL president who led during a time that changed the course of history.

“He belongs to the generation of young lions which rendered the country ungovernable,” Nqakula said.

He said Johnson epitomised what the ANC looked for in a cadre.

“We strongly believe it is in fact an extreme injustice to not have comrade Johnson on the list, particularly [because] we believe he has been doing a sterling job as the head of the water and sanitation portfolio committee,” Nqakula said.