ANCYL must pull up its socks

YOUNG people are the future of any political organisation and winning their trust is crucial for the future growth and sustainability of any political formation.

Even political observers agree that winning the hearts and minds of young people is going to be extremely important in the May elections.

That is why we concur with President Cyril Ramaphosa when he slammed the ANC Youth League’s ineffectiveness in leading young people and bringing them closer to the ANC.

Speaking at the 60th birthday anniversary of the late former ANCYL president Peter Mokaba in Durban on Wednesday, Ramaphosa said the party’s youth wing had lost the confidence of young people. He also slammed the ANCYL’s preoccupation with ANC factional battles.

The irrelevance of the ANCYL to issues affecting young people has been signified by the loss of support of student leadership elections at various institutions of higher learning.

While the SA Student Congress (Sasco) used to dominate leadership structures at various universities across the country, many young people have now dumped them for either the EFF’s Youth Command or the DA Youth wing.

There is no doubt that whichever party secures the youth vote in the 2019 elections will get a significant boost, and Ramaphosa’s message is a challenge to the ANCYL to remain relevant so that young voters will continue to gravitate towards the 107-year-old party.

This difficult task can be achieved, not by trying to influence who becomes the next president of the ANC, but by making the party a home to all young people.