Program Director: YL Provincial deputy chair
YL Deputy President and NEC members
Chairperson and the PEC Memebers
The Regional Leadership of the ANC in the Amathole Region;
All leagues present
Members of the Progressive Youth Alliance;
Public representatives and community leaders;
The revolutionary youth league members
Comrades and compatriots:
Comrades, we gather here in Msobomvu, in the historic town of Gcuwa, at an important moment in the democratic evolution of our country. We are conscious that the challenges confronting South Africa demand more than political declarations. They require leadership capable of understanding the changing conditions of our society and translating the aspirations of our people into measurable improvements in their everyday lives.
We meet during the concluding week of the local government election campaign, which will culminate in the ANC Siyanqoba Rally at Sisadukashe Stadium in Mdantsane. This period provides an opportunity to reflect upon the achievements and shortcomings of democratic local government, the responsibilities of public representatives and the expectations of communities whose confidence must continually be earned through service.
The importance of this moment extends beyond the immediate electoral contest. It concerns the future of our municipalities, the credibility of democratic institutions and the unfinished task of constructing a society in which political freedom is accompanied by economic opportunity and social justice.
Comrades, the African National Congress Youth League occupies a distinguished place in the history of our liberation struggle. Since its establishment in 1944, successive generations of young activists have contributed to the renewal of political thought, the development of leadership and the transformation of our society.
The generation of Anton Lembede, Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo understood that political leadership required ideological clarity, intellectual discipline, organisational commitment and the courage to confront the challenges of their historical circumstances.
That responsibility remains relevant to the present generation. The Youth League must continue to be a breeding ground for new leaders, a school of political education and an institution capable of preparing young people for the demanding responsibilities of democratic governance. Within the next five or ten years, many among you will be entrusted with responsibilities in political organisations, municipalities, legislatures and other institutions of our democracy. The quality of your leadership will depend upon the political and ethical foundations established today.
Comrades, we cannot discuss the future of young people without confronting the devastating unemployment crisis that continues to undermine the promise of our democracy. Statistics South Africa reported an official national unemployment rate of 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, while the Eastern Cape recorded 47.5%. Nationally, unemployment among young people aged 15 to 34 stood at 47.4%.
These figures represent more than statistical measurements. They describe the lived experiences of millions of young South Africans whose aspirations are frustrated by the absence of productive economic opportunities. They speak to the plight of matriculants unable to secure admission to tertiary institutions, graduates who possess qualifications but remain unemployed, and young people without matric certificates or recognised skills who find themselves excluded from the mainstream economy.
Behind every unemployed graduate stands a family that invested its limited resources in education, believing that academic achievement would open the doors of opportunity. Behind every young person unable to continue studying stands an aspiration deferred by circumstances frequently beyond individual control. We cannot allow these conditions to become permanent features of our democratic society.
Our responsibility is to strengthen the pathways connecting education, skills development and productive employment. Universities, TVET colleges, artisan training institutions, agricultural programmes and digital skills initiatives must collectively contribute to an economy capable of absorbing young people into meaningful activity.
The Eastern Cape possesses considerable potential in agriculture, automotive manufacturing, renewable energy, tourism and ocean-related industries. Unlocking these opportunities requires stronger cooperation between government, educational institutions, business and organised labour. It also requires municipalities that provide dependable infrastructure, efficient administration and an environment conducive to investment and enterprise development.
Comrades, young people must never surrender their aspirations to the difficulties of the present. Yet hope must be sustained by practical programmes rather than comforting promises. It must find expression in accessible education, skills acquisition, enterprise development, employment opportunities and public institutions that function with integrity.
The democratic state has a responsibility to create conditions in which talent, determination and initiative can flourish, regardless of the economic circumstances into which a young person was born.
Equally, our young people must continue developing their knowledge, capabilities and commitment to the communities from which they emerge.
Comrades, the crisis of local government requires particular attention. Across our province, communities have raised legitimate concerns about unreliable water supply, deteriorating roads, inadequate sanitation, refuse collection, infrastructure maintenance and municipal administrations that sometimes appear distant from the people they are constitutionally required to serve.
We must acknowledge these shortcomings without qualification. The historical achievements of the liberation struggle cannot provide permanent justification for contemporary administrative failures. The legitimacy of democratic government must continually be demonstrated through competent administration, ethical leadership and the effective delivery of public services.
Municipal renewal must therefore begin with the restoration of institutional discipline. Qualified people must occupy positions requiring professional expertise. Public resources must be protected against corruption, waste and maladministration. Infrastructure projects must be completed within reasonable timeframes, and municipal budgets must reflect the developmental priorities of communities.
Councillors must remain accessible and accountable between elections. Ward committees must become meaningful instruments of public participation, while municipal administrations must establish credible systems for responding to complaints and reporting progress. The people must be able to see where their money is spent, which projects are being implemented, and who is responsible when commitments are not fulfilled.
Comrades, the national Government of National Unity and the different arrangements emerging in municipalities demonstrate the complexity of our contemporary political environment. The Eastern Cape does not have a Government of Provincial Unity. Whatever governing arrangements arise from democratic elections, their ultimate measure must be institutional stability, public accountability and the capacity to deliver services.
Our constitutional democracy recognises political competition and the sovereign right of citizens to determine their representatives. Every political organisation must therefore subject its programmes and record to public scrutiny, respecting the right of voters to make independent and informed choices.
The ANC Youth League has a responsibility to cultivate a generation capable of engaging these questions with intellectual maturity. Political disagreement must be answered through reasoned argument, coherent programmes and demonstrated competence. The future of our democracy requires leaders who understand that political authority carries obligations rather than privileges.
As we approach the local government elections of 4 November, we must remember that the purpose of public office is service to the people. Democratic mandates impose a responsibility to correct institutional failures, strengthen accountability and improve the material conditions of communities.
Comrades, the Eastern Cape has produced generations of leaders whose contributions shaped the struggle for freedom and democracy. Their legacy places upon us a continuing obligation to confront poverty, unemployment, inequality and institutional decline with seriousness and determination.
Comrades, the responsibility resting upon our generation is to ensure that the democratic inheritance secured through enormous sacrifice is neither diminished by our failures nor weakened by our inability to respond to the changing demands of society. The true measure of our contribution must reside in the strength of the institutions we build, the opportunities we create for young people and the extent to which we succeed in transforming the material conditions of those who have waited far too long to experience the full benefits of freedom.
To the young people gathered here today, I say that your responsibility cannot end with expressing frustration about unemployment, deteriorating services and the failures of public institutions. You must become active participants in finding solutions. Organise yourselves in your communities, acquire the skills demanded by a changing economy, participate in municipal planning processes, scrutinise public expenditure and insist that those entrusted with public responsibilities account for their decisions. Your generation must become known not merely for identifying the problems inherited from the past, but for possessing the courage, knowledge and organisational capacity to overcome them.
To the leadership of the ANC Youth League, the responsibility is equally demanding. Rebuild the culture of political education, cultivate disciplined and principled leadership, and ensure that your structures remain connected to the everyday struggles of young people. Be present where graduates are searching for employment, where matriculants are struggling to access tertiary education, where young entrepreneurs encounter institutional obstacles, and where communities are demanding reliable services. The credibility of youth leadership must be established through sustained work among the people.
Let the young people of the Eastern Cape demonstrate that they are prepared to assume responsibility for the future of this province. Let their participation in democratic life be informed by knowledge, conviction, discipline and an unwavering commitment to the public good. Above all, let us build a generation that understands that leadership is not an entitlement to authority, but a solemn obligation to improve the lives of others. The future of the Eastern Cape cannot remain a promise indefinitely deferred.
Comrades, as I conclude, allow me to extend our warmest congratulations to Comrade Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, on his remarkable victory in a fiercely contested presidential election.
His victory is not only significant for the people of Brazil but also carries profound political and economic implications for South Africa and the broader Global South. It represents an important opportunity to consolidate the longstanding relations of solidarity, cooperation and mutual development between our two countries.
We must appreciate that the outcome of this election has implications for the future of BRICS, particularly at a time when the international economic order is experiencing profound geopolitical tensions. The election of Flávio Bolsonaro, a political ally of United States President Donald Trump, could have introduced considerable uncertainty into the direction of Brazil’s international partnerships, including its commitments within BRICS.
President Lula’s re-election therefore presents an opportunity to strengthen cooperation, expand trade, deepen investment relations and advance the collective economic interests of developing nations.
Comrades, these international developments are directly connected to the economic aspirations of our own people. Stronger trade relations and increased investment can contribute to the expansion of the South African economy. A growing economy creates opportunities for businesses to expand, for new industries to emerge and, most importantly, for more jobs to be created.
As our economy grows and government revenue improves, we strengthen the capacity of the democratic state to invest in education, healthcare, infrastructure and social development. We also create greater fiscal space to expand support for deserving students through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, NSFAS, ensuring that the doors of learning continue to open for the children of the working class and the poor.
It is within this broader economic context that we must appreciate the significance of the opening of this mall.
The opening of this shopping centre is a practical expression of investor confidence in the economic potential of the Eastern Cape. It demonstrates that our Province continues to present opportunities for investment, enterprise development and employment creation.
We recognise and deeply appreciate the contribution of the retail sector as one of the important pillars of our provincial economy. Beyond the commercial activity taking place within these facilities, the sector sustains livelihoods, supports suppliers, creates opportunities for small businesses and connects local producers to wider markets.
Our responsibility is to ensure that investments of this nature generate meaningful economic opportunities for our communities, particularly young people and women, while contributing to the broader transformation and inclusive growth of the Eastern Cape economy.
For ultimately, the true measure of economic growth is not simply the number of new buildings we construct or the volume of investment we attract, but the extent to which that growth changes the material conditions of our people, creates decent employment and restores hope and dignity to our communities.
I thank you.
