The ANC Youth League secretary-general has warned South Africa is on the brink of a revolution that will see young people rise up against white South Africans if the economy continues to be in the red.
Mntuwoxolo Ngudle spoke to TimesLIVE Premium on the state of the economy, accusing the private sector of “treason” for failing to transform the economy.
“What you are doing is almost treason to allow your country to be like a country at war where you have almost 60% of youth unemployment. It's a disturbing analysis when you get to crunch the numbers. Any progressive and patriotic capital invests in their nation's state.”
The league is celebrating 80 years of existence this month. It has been calling for South Africa to pursue an aggressive industrialisation programme, arguing this would go a long way towards solving the problems of youth unemployment.
The government's achilles heel is the high rate of unemployment, particularly among the youth.
The ANC and several other parties campaigned around solving the challenges of unemployment in the hope of winning votes in the May elections.
We must be in a trade balance where we are selling certain commodities that are value-added in South Africa to the Chinese market. It can't be that we are flooding our markets with finished products from China. China would have created jobs for their own people
Statistics from the first quarter of 2024 indicate a 45.5% unemployment rate among young people (aged 15-34 years), in contrast to the national average of 32.9%.
Ngudle said should the government and the private sector fail to change this soon they could face an uncontrollable challenge.
This revolution would end peaceful negotiations for transformation of the economy and become violent.
“The revolution we are talking about is when these majority black South Africans will enter the farms and occupy them. When they will enter the factories and occupy them, the workers turning against their bosses and taking over factories. That is the revolution we are warning about.
“If we don't grow the economy for economic opportunities and jobs for most South Africans, we are going to enter into a revolution that may not be controllable.”
Ngudle said it had been clear to the ANC that young people did not have the patience as they did during their own revolution to wait 50 years to achieve economic freedom.
He accused some in the private sector of opposing the government's mission to industrialise, adding they wanted to see 70% of export quotas for raw minerals to beneficiate minerals and create jobs.
The young lions have in the past endorsed the government of national unity (GNU) despite an apprehension by some in the party. The GNU should not be seen in racial terms but by policy positions and implementation.
“That is why we are clear that we support the GNU so long as it preoccupies itself about industrialisation of the economy. So long as the GNU ensures the economy is efficient and not expensive,” he said, adding the economy must lower the cost of public goods.
Despite singing the praises of China, Ngudle said South Africa must disabuse itself from trade relations that do not benefit its economy.
“We cannot continue to sell raw commodities to China and then we call China our largest trading partner. We must be in a trade balance where we are selling certain commodities that are value-added in South Africa to the Chinese market. It can't be that we are flooding our markets with finished products from China. China would have created jobs for their own people. We must have the national interest and the interest of our youth,” he said.
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