Youth league makes no contribution to debate
I THOUGHT I would never entertain the ANC Youth League in this precious column since its demise from the political spectrum. That decision was largely informed by the fact that my then favourite comic of all time and rabble rouser, Julius Malema, had been ousted, outed and embarrassed by the collective efforts of Cyril Ramaphosa, Derek Hanekom and the ANC.
That ANC Youth League and Malema were very important and made as much sense as they made nonsense. There was radicalism, comedy and disrespect sometimes, but the fact remains that the youth league had its place in our recent politics.
Its disbandment after Malema was fired has since opened a serious void in our politics and day to day life.
Then came the so-called national task team headed by the big-headed Mzwandile Masina.
In Masina, as a self appointed new king, the youth league has become a toothless underdog that doesn’t add anything politically or to the youth of this country. Though it does seem to have something in common with the youth league of Malema in that it can be disrespectful, its problem is that it is a poor photocopy of that youth league of Malema.
Where Malema would have constructive criticism of the powerful the league now simply goes for the jugular with its misdirected missives. A recent example will be the way in which it disrespected the public protector after the release of the final Nkandla report.
Instead of engaging with the report and factually challenging its findings, the unemployable old farts from the league led by Masina decided to shout insults in the hope of gaining some prominence from unsuspecting youth. But the young veterans are not alone in this new trend of name-calling and throwing of unnecessary insults.
Just recently they were joined by clergymen who saw fit that the public protector be prayed for as appar- ently and in their minds she was possessed by demons.
This new and unfortunate trend of people like Masina and the crazy clergymen, who are either rented or are just being opportunistic in their defence of those in power, no matter what the facts are, is really something to worry about as a country. We have more issues to worry about 20 years into democracy and the last thing we need are a bunch of men calling themselves men of God keen on rubbishing the public protector’s name and not even making sense in their claims of her state of thought.
People like Masina and the clergymen need to be ignored by the public for their own ignorance about the issues of the day. But as a people of South Africa, we need to be aware of people like these, especially seeing that the elections are approaching and opportunistic types put themselves before the needs of others.
It is clear that people like Masina are fighting their own political and survival battles where the issue of Nkandla and the president is concerned.
But the people of this country are not stupid and they will soon show it. The likes of Masina are supposed to be fighting the battles of the many unemployed youth of this country.
But instead they are shouting insults at all the wrong people while the youth languish in poverty and a state of hopelessness. By rubbishing the public protector’s final Nkandla report the youth league is sending a very bad message to the youth because all evidence is there for everyone with a brain to see: the president was in the wrong for allowing the Nkandla development on his watch.
So, in the wake of all the unfortunate utterances of the likes of Masina and the pastors, one can say that it should be understandable because of the upcoming elections and the opportunism of those who are there to fend for themselves. Nothing should ever be taken seriously out of it all.