The newly formed African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) National Youth Task Team (NYTT) has declared itself “a unifying structure during a time of gravely factional political dynamics” within the mass democratic movement.

Addressing the media following its meeting with the outgoing members of the ANCYL, the 34 member team, which was announced last week, also met with the top ANC leaders.

The formation held its first meeting between April 9 and April 11 April, in Benoni.

The NYTT meeting appointed Mlondolozi Mkhize as the National Organiser, Sizophila Mkhize as the National Spokesperson and Thuthukile Zuma as the National Fundraiser.

The NYTT members elected to serve in the National Working Task Team are Precious Banda, Tsileng Sobuthongo, Anele Matuntuta, Xolani Mgxotheni, Lesego Makhubela, Sebang Mahlabi, Gumani Mukwevho, Fasiha Hassan, Pinky Mbele and Eugene Manana.

The ANCYL NYTT said it did not take lightly its responsibility to revive, reimagine and reposition the ANCYL with the primary task of taking it to a credible national conference.

“We carry on our shoulders the hopes and aspirations of young women who through the years have been overlooked by the exclusionary patriarchal tendencies that continue to plague our movement and society at large,” the ANCYL NYTT said.

The NYTT concedes that the rebuilding of the ANCYL is not an overnight process but rather a continuous process that requires all hands on deck.

It said that the rebuilding process must be participatory and youth from all sectors and constituencies must be central to the process.

On international affairs the NYTT said “Western imperialism” continued to impose its will on weaker States through armed force, economic sanctions, multilateral institutions and the use of international development funding institutions.

It said global superpowers “continue in their unabated race for natural resources in Africa” and the developing world at the expense of the people and with the sole objective of fulfilling their national imperatives.

The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of the ANCYL to the universal rights to life and dignity and therefore condemned the killings of innocent people in northern Mozambique.

“The NYTT calls for the swift intervention of SADC and the AU to ensure that a humanitarian crisis is avoided. The ANC government must ensure that global terroristic activities do not reach our shores,” it added.

The group expressed concern at the economic effect the Covid-19 pandemic had had on the youth, who had faced an abrupt increase in massive retrenchments, a surge in unemployment and economic exclusion.

On youth development the NYTT declared unemployment and landlessness as the enemy to the economic emancipation of the youth of South Africa.

However, it said it appreciated the efforts of the previous National Executive Committee (NEC) in scrapping experience as a criteria for all entry level posts.

Meanwhile, the NYTT is concerned by Parliament's stalling on the appointment of the board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

“It is appalling that the ANC in Parliament has been a central part in the prolonging of the appointment of the board. The outgoing board did great work in ensuring the stability of the entity and it is sad to see the reversal of their gains as a result of a lack of political will by the elders on youth development issues,” the NYTT said.

The task team has characterised youth unemployment as a national crisis and has suggested that a consultative process be undertaken to engage Ministers in the economic cluster to understand what they are doing to address the national crisis.

The group said the issue of racism remained a concern.

“The police brutality meted out on blacks during protests does not assist in social cohesion. The death of Mthokozisi Ntumba is but an example of how the State plays a central role in undermining the values of non-racialism as envisioned in a national democratic society,” the task team said.  

It added that the ANCYL supports the fight against gender-based violence and the plight of the LGBTQ+ community and that it will continue to engage this sector of society to ensure that their fundamental challenges are addressed.