“We Love Him, But He Doesn’t Love Us”: Gauteng Youth League Slams Lesufi Over Youth Exclusion

Frustrated youth leaders say they’re in an ‘abusive relationship’ with Premier Panyaza Lesufi as promises remain unmet.

In a Youth Month marked more by agitation than celebration, the Gauteng ANC Youth League has taken off the gloves—accusing Premier Panyaza Lesufi of failing the province’s young people and creating a relationship they liken to emotional neglect.

“We love our premier, but he doesn’t love us back,” said ANCYL provincial secretary Mpume Sangweni at a media briefing in Johannesburg. “We’re in an abusive relationship with him.”

It was a dramatic but calculated statement from a youth formation that’s reached breaking point. Their grievances are deep, and their message was clear: Asi’Spani—we don’t have jobs, and we’re done waiting politely.

The Budget That Broke Their Patience

At the heart of the outrage lies a shocking figure: R1.8 billion. That’s the amount the Gauteng government had to return to the National Treasury because it couldn’t spend its full annual budget—most of the underspending came from the health and education departments, two sectors that directly affect youth.

Gauteng’s final budget for the 2024/25 financial year stood at R168.76 billion. But by year-end, R1.041 billion in funding allocated to health and education went unused, while another R769 million came from other departments.

For the youth league, this wasn’t just a missed opportunity. It was a slap in the face.

“How can we speak of Youth Month and not connect it to this gross mismanagement?” asked chairperson Ntsako Mogobe. “Young people are unemployed, disillusioned, and tired of being sidelined. Our dignity has been stripped.”

Beyond Talk: “The Time for Polite Requests Is Over”

Over the years, the ANCYL has engaged with Lesufi’s office in what they describe as “constructive discussions.” But Mogobe insists those talks now feel more like theatre than transformation.

“Old people are allergic to youth development,” he quipped. “We’ve raised issues. We’ve made proposals. But there’s a deliberate attempt to exclude us.”

The frustration is intensified by the slow rollout of the Nasi iSpani initiative, a flagship employment program Lesufi has championed. While it promised hope, the youth league claims it’s been handed to an “incompetent government,” rendering it symbolic rather than practical.

Love and Friction: A Complicated Relationship

Despite the boiling frustrations, the youth league is walking a tightrope. They’re angry—but not entirely divorced from the leadership. Sangweni reiterated their affection for Lesufi, saying, “It’s not that we don’t respect or admire him. It’s that promises are not followed by action.”

Their criticism is not personal, they say, but structural. They accuse the ANC of perpetuating a myth that young people aren’t ready for leadership, despite past examples proving otherwise.

“There are MECs who were appointed in their twenties. Why not now?” Sangweni asked. “They had a chance. So should we.”

Youth Month With No Panel

Perhaps the most galling omission for the youth league is the long-promised Gauteng Youth Advisory Panel, which Lesufi announced months ago in his State of the Province Address (SOPA). As of mid-June, no appointments have been made.

For many young South Africans, especially in Gauteng where unemployment among the youth is critically high, this panel symbolised their seat at the table. Its absence is a stark reminder of how often they are promised action, only to be handed delays.

What’s Next? Creative Pressure

The youth league says this week’s media briefing is just the beginning of a renewed strategy to push for inclusion.

“It won’t end here,” Mogobe declared. “We will find other creative ways to get our voices heard. If polite requests won’t work, we’ll apply pressure until the leadership listens.”

On social media, reactions have been mixed. Some users applauded the league’s boldness, while others accused them of posturing. But what’s undeniable is the generational frustration that’s building within ANC structures—and the desire for real representation.

Commentary: The ANC’s Youth Dilemma

The public outburst by the ANCYL reveals a wider crisis within the ruling party: a growing disconnect between young members and the older guard. With elections always on the horizon and voter apathy surging among the youth, the ANC risks alienating its next generation of leaders and voters alike.

For a party whose liberation legacy was once carried on the backs of the young, it now appears increasingly uncomfortable with handing them the reins.

The message from the youth league is clear: respect us, or risk losing us.

A Generation on Hold

As Youth Month unfolds, the Gauteng government is being called to account—not for lack of ideas, but for failing to follow through. And as the ANCYL puts it, time is up for symbolic gestures.

Their message to Lesufi isn’t one of rejection. It’s one of urgent love—frustrated, bruised, but still hopeful that one day soon, they’ll stop being the children of the struggle and start being the leaders of today.

After all, how long can a one-sided love last?

{Source: The Citizen}

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