The ANC Youth League says President Cyril Ramaphosa will not be allowed to address young people at the upcoming June 16 Youth Day celebrations until unemployed attendees submit their CVs.
Speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, league president Collen Malatji said the initiative is part of the organisation’s “Programme Youth Job” campaign aimed at tackling youth unemployment.
“Young people attending will be encouraged to submit their CVs as part of the Programme Youth Job campaign and confronting youth unemployment. The president of the country will not be allowed to address before he receives all the CVs from all the unemployed youth,” said Malatji.
The June 16 commemorations are expected to take place in Gauteng, marking 50 years since the historic 1976 student uprising.
“As part of the 2026 celebration programme, the initiative could ensure that the celebration becomes more than just a symbolic event,” said Malatji.
The ANCYL said it is deeply concerned by rising youth unemployment in South Africa.
“The ANC Youth League remains deeply concerned by escalating levels of youth unemployment in South Africa which continue to rob millions of young people of their dignity, hope and economic freedom,” he said.
Malatji described youth unemployment as the greatest crisis facing the current generation, saying millions of young people are excluded from the economy despite obtaining qualifications.
“Millions of young people remain excluded while poverty, inequality, crime, substance abuse and hopelessness continue to rise in our communities,” he said.
Malatji said many graduates are still unemployed despite obtaining qualifications, while thousands of young people leave schools, colleges and universities every year only to find no opportunities available for them.
The youth league called on government and the private sector to prioritise youth employment and introduce measurable employment targets.
“The ANC Youth League therefore calls for urgent and decisive intervention in placing youth employment at the centre of government and private sector priorities,” said Malatji.
He called for the urgent gazetting of youth employment sector quotas to compel the private sector to play a more meaningful role in addressing unemployment.
Malatji said South Africa needed to accelerate industrialisation, localisation and public procurement policies that prioritised youth-owned businesses and local manufacturing.
“Young people cannot continue to be spectators in their own economy and in their own country,” he said.
The youth league further called for expanded support for entrepreneurship through institutions such as the National Youth Development Agency.
“The NYDA must continue to be strengthened and properly resourced to support youth-owned enterprises, skills development programmes, business funding and graduate placement initiatives,” said Malatji.
The organisation announced plans to launch a programme called “Service Delivery Wednesday” in July aimed at confronting poor governance and weak leadership in municipalities.
“Through this programme, ANC Youth League structures across the country will conduct oversight visits and community engagements to hold councillors, managers, mayors and representatives accountable for failures in service delivery,” he said.
Malatji criticised deteriorating living conditions in many communities.
“Communities continue to suffer from collapsed infrastructure, water shortages, uncollected waste and poor service delivery while some public representatives remain disconnected from the lived realities of our people,” he said.
The league raised concerns about illegal migration and its impact on employment opportunities and labour conditions.
“While South Africa remains committed to progressive African unity, illegal migration cannot be allowed to worsen unemployment and economic exclusion of young South Africans,” said Malatji.
He accused some employers of exploiting undocumented foreigners for cheap labour at the expense of South African workers.
“The exploitation of undocumented foreign nationals as cheap labour by some employers undermines labour standards and worsens unemployment among young people in South Africa,” he said.
Malatji called on the department of employment and labour to conduct workplace inspections during Youth Month, particularly in sectors such as restaurants, retail, construction and factories.
“Employers exploiting undocumented foreign nationals or violating labour laws must face decisive consequences,” he said.
TimesLIVE
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