Nyati to lead DA’s youth wing
Nelson Mandela Bay DA councillor Nicholas Nyati has been elected as the new interim federal leader of the party’s national youth wing.
Nyati, who contested for the spot against Carl Pophaim, Ndipiwe Olayi and Sakhile Mngadi, was elected on Saturday to lead the youth wing until its 2023 congress where an official leadership structure will be elected.
Nyati said the election was both a scary responsibility and an opportunity to exercise his passion to see the DA Youth as a home for young South Africans from different walks of life.
“I accept the responsibility with a little bit of fear because I don’t want to mess it up,” he said.
“It’s a big responsibility to sit there, representing the hopes and aspirations of young people who are facing so many problems.
“It’s going to be a difficult journey but I think the team that was elected is more than capable of achieving it if we all work together and focus on the main thing,” Nyati said.
In his quest to serve the best interests of the DA Youth, Nyati said he would not contest to become the youth leader at the 2023 congress.
This is one of several commitments Nyati highlighted during his campaign for the interim federal leader.
Yesterday, Nyati said he would meet with the newly elected leadership to establish a collective vision by incorporating each other’s ideas.
Nyati, who has served the party across various structures including as the president of the DA Student Organisation (DASO) at Nelson Mandela University, a branch member and councillor in the Bay, said he had become a well-versed advocate for the needs of the youth.
“I got to deal with breadand-butter issues — I’ve seen people’s lives, cries and hopes and I think that’s what will assist me going forward because I will not be speaking of things I don’t know.
“These are things I’ve seen and experienced.
“When young people speak of being excluded from institutions of higher learning, I know how that feels. When people speak about crime, I know what it means.
“What people want are leaders who know how they feel and who are actually going to listen to them and represent them,” Nyati said.
He said one of the immediate focuses of the DA Youth would be Youth Month.
“Our immediate plan is to look into a plan for Youth Month.
“This will not only assist in relaunching and rebuilding the DA Youth but it will show
young people that there is an organisation that represents them,” he said.
He said the date for the 2023 congress would be communicated by the party at a later stage.
Nyati succeeds Luyolo Mphithi, who was elected in 2018.