Collen Malatji, head of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), stated that the City of Tshwane should not have been given to immature people who are still learning how to lead.
Tshwane’s new mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya of ActionSA, was elected by the municipal council on Wednesday.
This comes after former Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Cilliers Brink was deposed as mayor by a resolution of no confidence two weeks ago.
Moya easily defeated her opponent with 122 votes, while Brink received 86.
“We do not believe ActionSA will perform much better, but if the leadership in that area believes so, that is OK. However, the capital city cannot be a training ground for future presidents, he stated.
Malatji claimed that only the ANC could improve the lives of Tshwane residents.
“We don’t believe that it is a good decision to give the metro to ActionSA and not the ANC,” stated the minister.
He asserted that the DA attempted to administer the city but failed, leading to the municipality’s collapse. The DA administered the city for eight years.
Malatji made the statements at a media event in Johannesburg, before of the league’s match against the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSC) on Friday.
According to the league, the march aims to raise awareness and demand action on crucial economic concerns affecting young people.
This will also emphasize critical concerns such as unemployment, inequality, economic transition, and access to high-quality education and employment opportunities.
Malatji went on to add that the ANC should have taken over as mayor, repaired and restored the metro to its former splendor, where townships were serviced and water was regularly delivered.
He also alluded to alleged corruption in Tshwane townships, where water supplies are intentionally shut off so that criminals can continue to sell or deliver water to locals via tankers when infrastructure is available.
“I’m not sure if Mayor ActionSA will be able to do that, but let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.” However, we continue to believe that the ANC is best suited to lead any municipality.
“South Africans have learned that not voting for the ANC was a dangerous mistake because there is no other party that can govern better,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Moya promised to provide services to the residents of Tshwane.
