Vavi said the ANCYL is contradicting itself by wanting the unemployment crisis to be solved while defending the ANC’s policies, which he said are the cause of the problem
South African Federation of Trade Union (Saftu) President Zwelinzima Vavi has accused the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) of contradicting itself after it called for youth unemployment to be declared a national disaster.
The ANCYL on Christmas morning said youth unemployment is the greatest threat to social stability in South Africa.
“With millions of young people unable to access work, education or economic opportunities, Christmas arrives not as a season of hope, but as a painful reminder of broken promises and deepening inequality.
“Many young South Africans are unable to provide for themselves or their families, while others face the daily reality of dependency, mental distress and loss of purpose. The ANCYL reiterates its call on the President of the Republic to urgently declare youth unemployment a national disaster,” it said.
ANCYL accused of ‘political contradiction’
However, Vavi on Friday accused the youth league of contradicting this statement when its spokesperson Zama Khanyase praised the ANC’s economic policies during an interview on SAFM on Friday morning.
He accused Khanyase of blaming the non-implementation of policies and the GNU for the worsening youth unemployment.
“This represents a profound political retreat. There was a time — particularly under the ANCYL NEC led by Julius Malema — when the Youth League’s analysis closely aligned with the demands of workers in Cosatu and the unemployed,” said Vavi.
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He said the ANCYL is calling for the unemployment crisis to be solved while defending the cause of the problem.
“To argue today that the crisis is a ‘disaster’ while simultaneously defending the very policies that produced it is an exercise in political contradiction. You cannot declare an emergency while protecting the cause,” he said.
ANCYL wants youth unemployment declared national disaster
The youth league’s call for youth unemployment to be declared a national disaster, comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa classified gender-based violence (GBV) a disaster in November.
“Declaring unemployment a national disaster will allow the state to mobilise resources, fast-track interventions, remove bureaucratic delays and implement bold, youth-centred economic programmes at scale. It will also send a clear message that government recognises the depth of the crisis and is prepared to act decisively in the interests of the people,” the ANCYL said.
“The ANCYL calls on all spheres of govemment to prioritise mass youth employment, industrialisation, skills development, localisation, support for youth-owned enterprises, and the expansion of public employment programmes as immediate relief measures. Long-term structural reforms must also be accelerated to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”
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