Youngest MP eager to take his place
YUSUF CASSIM, 24, has made history in South African politics as the youngest member of parliament to be sworn in in the National Assembly.
The DA youth chairman said he was looking forward to the challenge of being in parliament.
He said he would inject fresh ideas, innovation and energy and ensure that issues affecting young people were not neglected by the government and legislature. “I will focus on free higher education for the poor, support for small businesses and job-creating economic growth.
“I took on this responsibility because the potential to better the lives of millions appeals to me.”
Cassim was born in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape and matriculated top of his class at Muir College in 2008. He has a BCom and is completing his master’s degree in public administration at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth.
Cassim said he had the full support of his spouse, Shaakira, as well as that of his parents, Dr Cassim Mahamed and his wife Atiyya
Cassim’s interest in politics started in his first year at university when he was the chairman of the Muslims’ Students Association.
“In 2009, I saw the ANC- aligned South African Students’ Congress display oppressive governance in the Student Representative Council. I felt a responsibility to build an alternative and founded the Democratic Alliance Students’ Organisation. The university management recognised us only three weeks before the 2010 SRC elections. But we managed to get 39% of the student vote and I was elected to the SRC as the DA Students’ Organisation caucus leader in opposition.
“In 2011, the DA Students’ Organisation got a majority victory and I was elected as the SRC president.”
As a teenager, he supported the ANC. However, he later felt that Helen Zille showed excellent leadership in guiding the DA to continuous growth and relevant change.
Drawing his inspiration from his parents and the late Islamic historian, Hazrat Uma, Cassim is ready to start his political career and is confident that the DA will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2019 elections.
He attended his first presidential inauguration ceremony yesterday at the Union Buildings.
“As much as I stand by my party in the firm belief that Jacob Zuma is not fit to stand as president, I attended the inauguration ceremony for the experience,” said Cassim.