Reject mafia politics. Take up the battle for prosperity and true freedom, Mkhize tells students

The future of South Africa rests on the shoulders of its youth and it is their duty to reject mafia politics and embrace the ANC’s historic goal — a better society for all. 

This is the message presidential candidate Dr Zweli Mkhize shared with students at his alma mater, the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), where he was a leader in student politics. 

Mkhize addressed a lecture hall of youngsters from different political formations, including the opposition EFF and the Congress of South African Students (Cosas).

While the former health minister is running for ANC president, he said his presence at UKZN was not to campaign. Rather,  he believed he needed to conscientise young people.  

“This education you have is not enough. You must arm yourselves with the mission of why we need to change the lives of the people of South Africa. You must not forget that the context under which you were trained is to create a better life for all.

“What we are seeing now is a culture of criminality and corruption. If you keep inequality intact, there is no way to deal with criminality [as] everyone lives for themselves.”

Mkhize said his generation’s mission was to fight for a united, free, democratic, nonracial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa, but the latter had not been realised.

To achieve it, mafia law must be buried by young people because it is their mission to improve the lives of South Africans, he added.

“If you lose that direction, nobody will save this country. You can be the future, but [it will be a future] without a country.”

Despite the ANC shifting in the past 30 years from a liberation movement to one focused on bloodless transition; the first democratic government to purveyor of corruption; its ideals were still worth fighting for.

“When we joined the ANC, the reward was not a tender; not a position as a councillor, MPL, MP or a minister; a nice house. The reward was that you got arrested, charged and [imprisoned]; the reward was that you could be shot dead, and if you were, we were happy to bury you, but many just vanished."

He told the students that while they did not face imminent death, they had a responsibility to build the future.

“We need you to be educated and you must be loyal to the historical mission of improving the lives of our people. If you don't ... you will start thinking that what is important is to accumulate finances, material benefits ... to enrich yourself, be better than everyone else. That is when freedom will begin to dissipate." 

Mkhize said rejecting the bonds that bind South Africans in favour of self-enrichment would mean the end of the dream of a prosperous South Africa. 

“I am here to hand over that mission to you. What’s left ... is how to fulfil that mission because when we are gone, [don’t] turn around and say: ‘Nobody told us, therefore we are going to lose this country.’ 

“When we look at you we believe the country is safe in your hands. It's up to you. The mission of the ANC has not been fulfilled. We need new soldiers to take on the battle until our people are totally free.”

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