Cabinet reshuffle: ANCYTT SLAMS ‘exclusion of young people’

The ANC National Youth Task Team has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet reshuffle but has taken issue with the fact that young leaders were not considered for any posts in the National Executive.

Ramaphosa announced some key changes to his Cabinet on Thursday, 5 August 2021. The new additions to cabinet include Dr Joe Phaahla, Enoch Godongwana and Mondli Gungubele, who were appointed to the Health, Finance and Presidency ministries respectively.

Thanks to the ANC’s cadre deployment, a large chunk of the Cabinet is made up of people aged 60 and over.

“… it is highly disappointing that after the repeated calls by the ANCYL on the affirmation of young people in strategic positions in government and the organisation, we have a National Executive with 0% representation,” the NTYY said in a statement.

The ANCYTT’s Sizophila Mkhize says despite young people having proven to have the necessary skills and innovative ideas to take the country forward, they are treated with disdain.

“The lack of inclusion of young people in the Executive is in actual fact a motion of no confidence in the youth of this country,” Mkhize said.

ANCYTT on Cabinet reshuffle

The ANCYTT acknowledged that the party had increased the number of young MPs, but says this appears to be a smokescreen because they remained on the backbenches and not leading any portfolios.

It has further challenged the ANC and government to prove its commitment to the upliftment of young leadership in the country through its deployment processes and delegation of strategic and executive duties.

“The ANC Youth League has adopted the #MoswaPalong campaign to advocate for the maximum inclusion of young people in councils in the upcoming local government elections. We refuse to have a country and an organisation that use youth as labour reserves for electioneering yet excludes them from key positions of power.”

ANCYTT’s Sizophila Mkhize

Mkhize added that they were however pleased with the number of women in Cabinet and said it’s a sign that the ANC has faith in their (women’s) capacity to lead the country.