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03 Jun, 2020
Youth Month: the need for urgent change
We are always reminded of the bravery of the young people of 1976, who took to the streets of South Africa to fight a system of injustice, prejudice, inequality, racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and suppression. They fought for a regime change and laws that would favour the majority and, in turn, all the people of South Africa. With freedom in 1994, there was a beam of light – it was a new day, a new dispensation, and the dreams and aspirations of all South Africans, especially the young, were awoken. Little did we know that our democratic society would breed greed, have poor leadership who lacked accountability and that the aspirations of the youth of ‘76 would be cast aside. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) Youth Vanguard believes that we find ourselves barely existing in a society of crumbs, whilst the rich, connected elite and the politically powerful enjoy themselves at the expense of the poor masses. Twenty-six years into democracy and South Africa ranks as one of the most unequal societies in the world, with the formerly oppressed still having no opportunities and living in squalor. Our mostly geriatric cabinet has no clue how to deal with young people or their plight. We have for years said that it is necessary to have young people in all kinds of decision-making positions. It is, however, of no use to appoint a token young person as a minister who does not even deal with youth matters. We have an uneven society where a staggering 29% of its youth block is unemployed. To compound matters, youth unemployment must have increased dramatically because of the Covid-19 lockdown and the end is not in sight. Another thing the pandemic has proven, is our country’s lack of innovation and research tools. South Africa will need an economic repositioning, which focuses on youth and skills development. We no longer want to hear lip service; we want rigorous action. The UDM Youth Vanguard also believes that our education system needs a major overhaul as it mostly generates dropouts and perpetual jobseekers. There must be greater focus on building young people to be job-creators – skilling them to, for instance, be innovators and artisans, work the land and produce food and start small businesses that can grow. Such a transformed education system must speak to today’s needs considering the current industrial revolution. As we remember the youth of ’76, we call on all young South Africans to reflect and ask themselves what their role in society is and whether they think they have been playing that role. It begins with a right and responsibility to vote and to make the right choice i.e. to not vote based on sentiment. Our message to young South African’s is this: vote with your minds and realise that betting on the same horse for the past 26 years has gotten us nowhere; the UDM Youth Vanguard believes that the United Democratic Movement is deserving of your vote in the next elections. We wish everyone a well in celebrating Youth Month 2020. Issued by: Mr Yongama Zigebe UDMYV Spokesperson
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07 Mar, 2019
UDM welcomes ATM’s youth Deputy President and his followers to the UDM in Johannesburg
• Our newly arrived young lions • Ladies and gentlemen 1. Welcome Today the United Democratic Movement (UDM) proudly accepts a group of young lions into the fold. Welcome! You will have to hit the ground running as elections are around the corner. As new members of the UDM you will be part of the drive to rid our country of one-party dominance. We have all witnessed how one-party dominance has brought South Africa to its knees. Corruption has permeated into all sectors of society. Recent revelations have verified that government monies have been channelled to the ruling party via front companies. In essence, the taxpayer has footed the bill for the ruling party to, amongst others, ferry people to its rallies. Bosasa CEO, Gavin Watson, does not fear arrest, because to arrest Watson is to arrest the ANC. Government institutions are led by ruling party deployees that are mandated to channel money to Luthuli House. We can abide by the fact that Nomvula Mokonyane and her ilk will never face the consequences of their actions, precisely because they are deployees of ruling party. 2. What does the UDM’s manifesto say about our youth It is a given that this country rests on the shoulders of young South Africans, yet they are side-lined from economic and other opportunities. But, there are other possibilities for the youth to be their own wealth creators. The UDM therefore subscribes to the belief that our youth should not only rely on the private sector or government to create job opportunities. This is why the UDM would implement the following policies once it is in government: • Identifying markets for small firms through promoting domestic and foreign connections to adequately address both the supply and demand side of the economy. • Developing capacity in the areas of improved business and entrepreneurial skills. • Identifying loan and capital sources, as well as facilitating loans and investments in community businesses. • Investing in sector-based planning and implementation, including the creation of sector-specific banks to provide financial assistance to young South Africans. Also, under a UDM government, funding will be made available for political parties represented in parliament to have leadership training programmes to teach our youth, amongst others, about their country, current affairs, the constitution, patriotism, human rights, the political landscape, a culture of ownership, as well as respect. 3. Your task as UDM members • When we leave here today, go to your communities and preach the gospel of the UDM. • Make people understand that we, as citizens, must save South Africa from the slippery slope of corruption. • Go from door-to-door and speak to our people of the new direction the UDM envisages for our country. • Explain to them that the UDM’s political philosophy is based on integrity, dignity and prosperity. Integrity amongst our ranks. Dignity for our people and, Prosperity for all South Africans. I thank you
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09 Apr, 2015
Udm Youth Vanguard Condemns The Demolishing Of Statue
Statement issued by Mbongi Majija – On behalf of the UDMYV NATIONAL TASK TEAM The United Democratic Movement Youth Vanguard has noted, with utter disappointment, the recent uproar against the previous regime that resulted in a number of statues being defaced and demolished throughout the country. The UDMYV feels that destroying these colonial symbols won’t change the current struggles the country is dealing with such as high unemployment rate, health care system that is in shambles, the education crisis, high number of crime, corruption by government officials, etc. This uproar against these structures does not change who or what we have been through as a country. By destroying these sculptures we are attempting to hold our own history ransom. We cannot rewrite history. Apartheid is and will always remain part of our history, painful as it was. History will deal with us harshly if we now start behaving in the very same manner that we demonstrated and fought against during that very same apartheid era. These apartheid symbols are an indication of the history of our country. They are part of our heritage therefore we all need to defend this heritage for future generations. We cannot distort where we come from as a nation. A family without roots is not a proper family. What need to be fought are the systems of apartheid that are still in place in various institutions. Let us not create our own apartheid as the black nation.
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08 Oct, 2013
Youth Day
Address by Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP (UDM President) at a UDM Youth Day Rally, on Sunday, 16 June 2013 at Blybank Taxi Rank (Carletonville, Gauteng) Members of the UDM NEC; Presidents of the UDM Youth Vanguard and Women’s Organisation UDM Public Representatives Fellow UDM members and supporters and Young South Africans WELCOME Thank you to each person who took the time to celebrate Youth Day with the United Democratic Movement (UDM) today. To the UDM structures in Gauteng, thank you for the hard work. To our Secretary General, Mr Bongani Msomi, our National Treasurer, Mrs Thandi Nontenja, a special thank you for the time and effort you invested to make today a success. YOUTH DAY 2013 Every year we commemorate the sacrifices made by our youth on 16 June 1976 in the Soweto. The iconic picture of Hector Pieterson, brought home to many people, within and outside South Africa, the unfairness and brutality of the Apartheid regime. What happened that day is a testimony to the innate strength and tenacity of young South Africans. Our youth knows what is right, and what is wrong. They have the courage to stick to their convictions and stand their ground in the face of terrible odds. The UDM is convinced that the youth of today, across racial lines, is capable of consolidating and protecting the order that was ushered in after all the suffering, sacrifice and dedication. SOUTH AFRICA TODAY Yes, we have attained political freedom, but much still needs to be done to realise the dreams and the aspirations of our fallen heroes and heroines. When we assess South Africa since 1994 we need to ask: “Are South Africans more free in 2013?”. Or, has past eighteen years of unemployment undermined our hard won freedom? Despite the major strides that have been made, unemployment is ever increasing; poverty and homelessness are everywhere, crime holds people hostage in their homes, our hospitals have become places of death, our education system fails to provide adequate skills for employment and the majority is still without property. To add insult to this list of injuries, our Government wastes millions-upon-millions of Rands to pay consultants to tell them what “the realities are” – as if they cannot see with our own eyes. These so-called consultants come with their “cut-and-paste solutions” that are a mere regurgitation of their proposed solutions of last year (and the year before). Of the projects that find their way to implementation, the majority are of such poor quality, they have to hire more consultants to tell them they have failed. Of course it makes sense, if you are a card-carrying member of the ruling party, to register such a “consultancy”. Become a tenderpreneur and build a bridge to nowhere or, even better, hire a boyfriend, or a wife and a few mzalas to “share in the profits” at the expense of our people. THE UDM’s PROPOSAL FOR AN ECONOMIC INDABA South Africans, young and old, daily ask some of the following questions: Why have subsidies, intended to help labour intensive industries, disappeared? Why was our skilled and unskilled labour force never absorbed into labour intensive industries? Why did the promise of thousands of job opportunities never realised; and why has government failed to combat poverty and joblessness? Why was the dream of free education, which was promised in 1994, never realised? Why do hospitals and clinics run out of medicines, and lack proper equipment? Why do doctors, nurses, teachers and civil servants (such as soldiers and police officers) earn paltry salaries and why do they leave for greener pastures? Why do we loose billions of Rands because of the capital and skills flight – with one in four young South Africans wanting to leave? Why are our infrastructure, government buildings and roads falling apart? and Why, most importantly, is the gap between the rich and poor still widening? These are all legitimate questions and the UDM has been advocating for an Economic Indaba to be hosted to find solutions to these fundamental challenges. The UDM wants all stakeholders, especially the youth, to participate in such an Indaba, for it is the youth that will inherit this mess. It is therefore the youth of today, who should claim their space and devise the solutions of tomorrow. WE CAN COMPLAIN FOREVER, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING? It is a fact that many things are wrong, or they could be better, in South Africa. We could, however, stand here for hours-and-hours complaining, whinging and whining about our lot and how unfair things are. I am not saying we should not complain, of course we should, because South Africans have a contract with their Government called the Constitution. Just as we citizens are accountable for our actions, so our government must be held accountable. We will keep making noise; speaking our minds and making our feelings known to those who lead us. But, we must draw the line somewhere in the sand and say: “You know what; I am going to make this work! I, as a young South African, take charge of my destiny.” DO WHAT MR HOLOMISA? Be practical, get issue orientated. Do not wait for the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) to fight your battles, for they will not. Their track record speaks volumes. NYDA will rather spend hundreds and thousands of Rands on party supplies and, this week, they did not even pitch for their meeting with Members of Parliament. Are these people, who pretend to be youth leaders, fit represent you? For those of you who are graduates from, technikons and universities, it is high time that you make the effort to swell ranks of decision-makers in Government. Become servants of your communities and peers, by making yourselves available as councillors, Members of Legislatures and/or Parliament. Don’t stay on the sidelines and be mere spectators. The current crop of leaders in the ruling party is only interested in one thing, using the remainder of their terms to get rich at your expense. Do not put all your eggs in one basket and wait for the older generation, of which I am part, to make decisions for you. You need to be in the thick of things, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty by tilling the soil of your own prosperous futures. TAKE WHAT IS GOOD FROM THE PAST Young people, you have reached a crossroads, much the same (in some respects) as the youth of 1976 faced themselves. Not only are there too many South Africans who are marginalised by the government of the day, but they are so very desperate for Government’s attention that they resort to violent civil disobedience. As you stand here today, you must ensure that you are at the vanguard to demand transformation of the economy. In 1976, the Soweto youth stood up for themselves and conveyed their unhappiness loud and clear, the tragedy that followed was not of their making. Their goal was noble and good; they wanted to show a government that did not care, that it should listen to the young people of South Africa. Do not sit around for another eighteen years, before taking a stand, because if you do, we might have this very same conversation in 2031 when I am stuck in an old age home. WHERE TO FROM HERE? This is the message I want you to leave with today. Stand up, make your voices heard, claim your space and if you don’t like what the ruling party is doing, vote with your feet. Don’t wait for the powers that be to change the current situation. They have not done so in eighteen years, and they will take another eighteen years if you allow them to abuse you and you will be left to explain to your . Thank you.
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08 Oct, 2013
National Youth Day Commemorations
Address by Mr Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, UDM Deputy Secretary General, at the National Youth Day Commemorations, at eMadadeni, Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, 16 June 2013 Programme Director, Mister President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers; All protocol observed, Fellow South Africans: Much has been achieved in the development of young people since the advent of democracy in 1994. However, it should concern us that today we commemorate the 37th anniversary of June 16 1976 against the backdrop of extraordinarily high levels of youth unemployment in South Africa. According to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa, unemployment for people between the ages of 15-34 currently stands at 70.7 per cent. This means that, not only do young people still occupy the periphery of economic activity, but the problem of unemployment in South Africa appears to be one of youth unemployment. This is a ticking time bomb which threatens to worsen the alarming levels of political instability in South Africa. At the heart of youth unemployment problem is the poor quality of our education system, which is failing to equip the youth with basic skills or the skills the South African economy requires. In addition to these challenges, South Africa is also battling with high prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse among the youth. We have to leave no stone unturned in the fight against alcohol and drug abuse. Programme Director, Apart from these challenges, we are also faced with the problem where political connectivity determines one’s altitude. For many young people, coming from the wrong side of the political spectrum is increasingly becoming a fixed impediment to individual success. While this occurs, those who enjoy political connectivity become overnight millions. The danger of breaking the important link between effort and reward is that we send a wrong message to the young people that they can take the escalators to success. No winning Nation can be built on this formula. On numerous occasions people who are tasked with running youth development institutions publicly proclaim commitment to youth development, while privately practicing unrestrained extraction of private wealth from the public purse. Mister President, I wish we could wave a magic wand and get rid of these problems, but unfortunately we cannot. Nor do we have the time to develop another plan because South Africa has an abundance of plans. Our only limitation is that we do not implement them. To turn this situation around, we require bold and decisive leadership from all the sectors of society to implement the plans we have developed thus far, as failure to do this will portray us a Nation that lacks the moral resolve to tackle its challenges. We have to improve the quality of our education to ensure that our youth are both employable and capable of becoming employment creators rather than employment seekers. We have to re-establish the link between effort and reward and root out corruption and maladministration in our society. Fellow South Africans, We have to work hard to ensure that we put selfless service to the people above all else. Adam Smith puts this aptly in his book The Theory of Moral Sentiments, when he says and I quote: “When the happiness or the misery of others depends in any respect upon our conduct, we dare not, as self-love might suggest to us, prefer the interest of one to that of many.” Providing this bold leadership entails making important choices as a Nation. Former President of the United States of America, JF Kennedy once summarised these choices succinctly in one of his political campaign speeches in the 1950s when he said and I quote that: “…the American people have a choice to make…. a choice between national greatness and national decline…between the public interest and private comfort.” He continued and said: “All mankind awaits our decision. We cannot fail their trust, we cannot fail to try.” More than fifty years later, South Africa finds itself at this crossroad. The decision we take today will determine the kind of South Africa we seek to become. Borrowing the words of JF Kennedy, I say that the peoples of Africa and the world wait upon our decision. We cannot fail their trust, nor can we fail to try. I thank you.
