By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Malatji briefed the media on outcomes and resolutions adopted at the 2nd National General Council (NGC) of the ANCYL, held from September 10 to 12 in Kimberley, Northern Cape.
Malatji warned that unemployment among young South Africans has become a full-blown national disaster.
He said 200,000 young people have lost their jobs during the past two months.
Several companies, including Coca-Cola SA, Glencore, Ford SA, and ArcelorMittal, have recently announced plans to retrench workers.
“The NGC expressed deep concern about the ongoing wave of retrenchments by companies across sectors, which worsens this crisis and leaves communities devastated,” Malatji said.
He said, the NGC also agreed to make it their responsibility to ensure that the African Bank and the Post Bank are merged to form the State Bank.
Malatji said the State Bank would go a long way to level the playing field in the economic space. The space is currently skewed towards people of European ancestry.
The NGC adopted non-negotiable demands that will guide our struggle:
- Expropriation of all land without compensation;
- Nationalisation of the commanding heights of the economy — mines, banks, and state entities must serve the people, not capital;
- Protection of township economies from foreign exploitation;
- Beneficiation of minerals — only 30% for export, with 70% processed locally to create jobs;
- Digital liberation — free access to AI and advanced digital tools for all South African youth; and
- Building a people’s state that guarantees education, healthcare, housing, sanitation, and basic services as a birth right, not a privilege.
He also weighed in the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, saying that the commission’s hearings had already revealed how criminal syndicates infiltrated state institutions and how politicians, officials, and business figures colluded to defraud the public purse.
“We are aware of the serious allegations raised before the commission, including those against a DA MP. We note with concern how the media often omits party affiliations when the accused are from the DA, yet emphasises them when the accused are from the ANC,” he said.
“These inconsistencies are being closely monitored and confirm how corruption and criminality cut across political lines.”
Malatji emphasised that commissions of inquiry are not an end in themselves but instruments to restore justice.
He called for the commission’s findings to be acted upon decisively.
“South Africans cannot afford another commission whose report gathers dust while predators continue to enjoy impunity, “he said.
“We look forward to arrests and trials that ensure accountability, recovery of stolen resources, and the restoration of public trust in democratic institutions.”