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IOL News
2 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Malatji: Ramaphosa should be SA's last 'pensioner' President
ANC Youth League President Collen Malatji delivers a fiery speech during Youth Month, calling for younger leadership in government. Image: Facebook/ANC Northern Cape ANC Youth League President Collen Malatji has made a bold statement, saying President Cyril Ramaphosa should be the last 'pensioner' to lead the country. Malatji made the remarks on Wednesday, at the Mmabatho Convention Centre in the North West as part of the Youth Month commemorations. He argued that older leaders must make way for younger people in key positions of power, especially given the country's high youth unemployment rate, which is sitting at 32.9% and the social struggles faced by young South Africans. 'They (referring to the youth) are dispossessed, they are on drugs, they are on alcohol, they are abused by their husbands every day of their marriage, they are in problems,' Malatji said. 'Even your dignity is stripped when you are deprived of your own economy.' He called for a revival of youth political consciousness similar to that of the 1976 generation, who famously rose up against apartheid. 'That spirit must be revived in your hearts and souls. It must burn until the structure of the economy is changed, until the youth of this country run this country,' he said. Malatji criticised what he sees as contradictions in government policy regarding age and retirement. 'You can't say people aged 65 must go to pension, but the one who makes the laws, aged 65, is still working,' he said. 'Even those in Parliament must go home when they are 65. President Ramaphosa must be the last president who is a pensioner.' Ramaphosa, who is 72-years-old, has announced a National Dialogue aimed at reshaping South Africa's future amid worsening inequality, unemployment, crime, and corruption. The dialogue will culminate in a National Convention on August 15, bringing together political, civil, religious, traditional, and business leaders. It will conclude with a second convention in early 2026. Malatji lambasted the process, claiming it lacks meaningful youth representation and direction. 'Everything important in this country must be run by the youth,' he said. 'We can't have a high level of youth unemployment while pensioners are still working.' He also took aim at the recently announced Eminent Persons Group tasked with overseeing the dialogue, which includes Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane of the Zion Christian Church, Bishop Grace Engenas Lekganyane of the St. Engenas Zion Christian Church, former COSATU general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali, and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi. On Wednesday, IOL News reported that notable absentees from the list include Ramaphosa's predecessors and leaders of legacy foundations such as those named after Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, and Ahmed Kathrada, all of which have been critical of the current administration. 'Because that national dialogue will have no direction if it is not directed by the youth of this country,' Malatji said. 'We cannot have a task team for the youth dialogue without youth (representatives).'
Daily Maverick
28-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
By young people, for young people — how a Bloemfontein centre empowers the next generation
The 56 Tambo community centre in Bloemfontein, run entirely by young people, arms young people with opportunities and resources at a time when youth unemployment in South Africa is at an all-time high. In the heart of the Free State, in Bloemfontein's CBD, a once-abandoned building — shuttered during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic — now pulses with creativity, hope and youthful energy. On Oliver Tambo Road is 56 Tambo, a community centre founded and run entirely by young people, for young people. At its helm is Tshiamo Malatji (27), whose vision is simple yet radical: to return agency and opportunity to the young people of Bloemfontein, empowering them to chart their own futures. The Free State, much like the rest of South Africa, faces a severe unemployment problem. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, 37.6% of people in the province are jobless. For young people aged 15–34, unemployment is even higher at 52.1%, well above the national average of 45.5%. 'There are not many opportunities for young people here. Many opportunities in Bloemfontein are government opportunities, and often getting through the door is very difficult. Many young people in Bloem also work online for companies that do not necessarily operate in the city or have offices here, and some people do not have internet access, which means they cannot access those jobs. So a lot of what we do is about building things that empower young people to start their own projects and businesses,' said Malatji. With varying projects like business incubation, monthly markets and community-building initiatives, 56 Tambo is a one-stop hub where the city's young residents can find resources to start and manage their own businesses, advance their employability and immerse themselves in art and culture. Malatji said the space also allowed young people to control how the centre helps them, adding that those who used the centre often shaped the initiatives it runs. 'Many development or community centres are places where you can receive some valuable resources and assistance, but you are a recipient, not someone in control of your own life. We wanted to create a youth centre that would do things differently — a place where people can create resources and capital for themselves. So that when they develop, they feel like they are self-developing, not being developed,' said Malatji. Building businesses from the ground up One of the centre's flagship initiatives is its monthly cultural market, where more than 20 young entrepreneurs sell food, art, clothing and crafts. Unlike other markets, there are no stall fees, meaning the entrepreneurs keep 100% of their profits, which they can reinvest into their businesses. 'We created a dedicated cultural market where you know you'll find high-quality cultural goods made by young people in our community, so people can actually spend locally — and that assists those young people in creating opportunities for their own enterprises,' said Malatji. In addition to the market, 56 Tambo hosts a yearly film festival, CineBa!, which focuses on showcasing projects made by local filmmakers. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CineBa! (@cinebafilmclub) The centre's support does not stop at the market. It helps young people navigate the often confusing process of business compliance, connects them to local incubators, and assists with licence fees and other costs that can be barriers to formalisation. For many, this is the first step towards sustainable self-employment. Malatji said the centre helped participants gain access to training and grants offered by the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and local incubators. Manyenziwe Ngozwane, a young entrepreneur from KwaZulu-Natal, is one of those who have benefited from 56 Tambo's enterprise support. The centre inspired Ngozwane to start a crocheting business. She told Daily Maverick that she finally felt she had a space where she could showcase her work, but beyond that, the centre offered her real support. 'The centre was not really what I was used to. It was my first time being in a space where you are encouraged to build yourself without having to pay a fee or where the centre is not expecting to benefit anything from your work,' said Ngozwane. With the help of Malatji and other volunteers at 56 Tambo, Ngozwane registered her business with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission and participated in an NYDA programme focused on training young people on how to start and operate a business. She earned a diploma in Business Management in 2024. She said the training helped her understand what was lacking in the management of her business and how to improve it — a learning opportunity she greatly valued. 'Whenever there is any workshop or training happening within Bloemfontein, 56 Tambo lets us know about it and encourages us to go. Even when only one person from the centre is invited, they say: 'Let's all go', because an opportunity for one is an opportunity for all,' she said. Community network Malatji said that 56 Tambo's most impactful initiative was providing internet access to young people who would otherwise go without. 'Most of the young people who come to our centre are not in education, employment, or training. Access to the internet allows them to brush up on skills, access books in our digital library and save money they would have spent on data for other essentials,' he said. Taking things further, the centre is building a local offline community network. With its first access point already live, the network allows anyone in the area to connect, communicate, share files and listen to podcasts or access a digital library, without the need for data or airtime. Malatji said the centre was looking into launching servers across the city so more young people can access the offline network. Another cornerstone is the Library Project. Recognising that public libraries often lack literature relevant to young people, especially conscious African literature and academic resources, the centre has curated its own collection. 'Our library is focused on books that activate young people in meaningful ways, whether political, academic or personal,' said Malatji. What sets the centre apart is its commitment to youth leadership. Management and decision-making are handled by young people, most in their early twenties. The centre operates on an opt-in, volunteer basis, blurring the lines between beneficiary and organiser. 'Recipients become organisers themselves,' said Malatji. 'As they start to solve their own problems, they realise they can play a role in solving the problems of others.' By revitalising a neglected building, the centre has brought new vibrancy to central Bloemfontein, attracting young people to artistic events and entrepreneurial opportunities. DM
IOL News
25-04-2025
- Business
- IOL News
'Our people don't believe us anymore'- ANCYL blasts ANC over broken promises
ANCYL president Collen Malatji says South Africans no longer believe the ANC can lift them out of poverty, urging the party to refocus on economic freedom to win back trust. African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malatji has blamed the ANC's election loss on the party's failure to address poverty and economic exclusion, saying South Africans have lost faith in the ANC's ability to uplift them. 'We lost elections because our people no longer believe that we'll take them out of poverty,' Malatji said while addressing delegates at the ANC's 10th provincial conference in the Northern Cape on Thursday. The ANC failed to secure a majority in the May 29 2024 general elections for the first time since the dawn of democracy in 1994, which led to the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU). The GNU brought together former opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Freedom Front Plus (FF+), and others, in partnership with the ANC. Malatji said the ANC had neglected its mission of achieving economic freedom and accused the party of allowing structural economic inequality to persist. 'Twenty years later, the face of poverty in South Africa is still black. The economy is still controlled by those who displaced us,' he said. 'But the most fundamental thing is that our townships, our villages, our rural areas, our farms have become a holiday Monday to Monday because the youth, the women, and the people are unemployed…That's why we've lost elections.' Malatji criticised the continued export of South Africa's mineral resources, calling for a radical shift in policy. 'We need to introduce export quotas. If 70% of raw materials remained in the country, we could revive industries and create jobs,' he said. 'China has electric cars, but they have no minerals — they use ours.' He also called out mining companies for exploiting communities, leaving behind poverty, informal settlements, and environmental damage. 'We owe our people,' he said. Malatji slammed government officials for living in fear behind high gates and security, saying it is because they have failed to deliver. 'You're guarding yourself against your own people. You know you owe them,' he said. 'If the economy is in the hands of our people, we won't need to fear driving expensive cars.' He urged ANC leaders to unite and prioritise poverty eradication to regain the public's trust. Malatji also commented on the controversy surrounding the alleged shooting at Deputy President Paul Mashatile's convoy, saying public skepticism highlights a deeper problem - 'a lack of trust in the ANC.' 'People are debating whether it was a bullet or a stone. That's not the issue. The issue is that the integrity of our message is in question. No one believes us,' Malatji said. Mashatile revealed the incident weeks later during an Easter church visit, saying his vehicle was struck while returning from an ANC National Executive Committee meeting. His spokesperson, Keith Khoza, confirmed that police are investigating and that the deputy president was unharmed. However, IOL News previously reported that ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party had not received a formal report from Mashatile and expressed concern over the lack of communication. 'We have not gotten a report from the deputy president on the matter," Mbalula said. "Many things get reported, especially in tabloid media. We must be wary of the work of agent provocateurs seeking to define situations and report them as truths.' He said the ANC remains concerned about the reports and looks forward to an official briefing from Mashatile. "We're looking forward to getting a comprehensive report from the deputy president's office, as well as being personally briefed by him," Mbalula said. IOL Politics
