Cyril Ramaphosa: 'ANC Youth League Is Ready to Lead'
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged the ANC Youth League to mobilise millions of young voters ahead of the 2026 local government elections
- The ANC president said the youth league has come of age and is ready to lead after the ANC’s electoral decline in 2024
- He called on young leaders to take responsibility for driving change and rebuilding support for the ANC ahead of the 2026 local elections
Source: Getty Images
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has said the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is ready to lead and has challenged its members to step up and bring millions of young people back to the African National Congress ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the opening of the ANCYL’s 27th National Congress in Polokwane, Limpopo, on 15 December 2025. The four-day congress is taking place from 14 to 17 December at the University of Limpopo under the theme, 'Economic and Social Change Now, Not Later.'
See clip on Ramaphosa speaking here:
Addressing nearly 3,000 delegates in attendance, Ramaphosa said the responsibility to drive meaningful change rests with the youth.
“You are the most effective agents of change and mobilisers who can bring young people together and champion their interests. You can do it. You, as the ANCYL, must mobilise young people in their millions to rally behind the ANC,” Ramaphosa said.
He noted that the congress comes at a time when the ANC’s electoral support declined during the 2024 national elections, adding that the youth are critical to reversing this trend. Ramaphosa said the conduct of young delegates he observed at the ANC’s 5th National General Council (NGC) demonstrated that the ANCYL has the capacity to lead the movement into the future.
“Those young people were not disruptive. They demonstrated that they were prepared to participate in the NGC,” he said. “They argued their positions calmly, intelligently, effectively and, purposefully. In doing so, they showed us that the ANCYL has come of age and is ready to lead.”
Ramaphosa added that the ANCYL has shown it is prepared to take responsibility for the country’s future. The youth league has claimed that it delivered a significant portion of the ANC’s votes in 2024, largely from young voters, and aims to build on that support in 2026.
Reaction from South Africans to Ramaphosa’s remarks
Ramaphosa’s comments sparked mixed reactions on social media.
@jp_pretor11199 said:
“Yeah, right. Failed dismally up to now, and so it will go on, no matter how many gala dinners weekly.”
@Siphenkosi61957 commented:
“I see the MK Party is better than the ANC. They provide no services in other provinces.”
@ronel_lowe said:
“The ANC lost most of the youth. They got an education and know better than to vote for their oppressors in disguise.”
@Bigdog35301815 commented:
“They don’t care about building or rebuilding. It is their time to loot, that’s all they care about.”
@kc8775936 stated:
“Ramaphosa, you sing the same old song all the time. No one believes you anymore.”
Collen Malatji was re-elected as the ANCYL President at the conference
At the conference, Collen Malatji was re-elected as the ANCYL President., with nearly 3,000 delegates praising his leadership.
Malatji was recently suspended as youth league president following alleged tensions between him and the league’s secretary-general, Mntuwoxolo Ngudle. The ANCYL suspended Malatji on 20 November 2025, citing his alleged convening of a separate meeting in preparation for the 27th National Congress.
A letter that circulated at the time stated that the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had resolved to suspend Malatji for excluding Ngudle and treasurer-general Zwelo Masilela. The youth league also accused Malatji of undermining its policies and weakening its organisational capacity.
Source: Getty Images
2 other Briefly News articles on the ANCYL
Previously, Briefly News reported that ANCYL president Collen Malatji said members of Parliament cannot be wealthy unless they are stealing. He made the controversial remarks during an appearance on the King David Podcast with David Mashabela.
Malatji argued that, like teachers and nurses, politicians are public servants and should not be motivated by money. He referenced the average MP salary and questioned how some MPs become wealthy, given their expenses. He added that community expectations for MPs to appear rich often push them into questionable conduct to maintain that image.
In another previous article, Malatji sparked debate with remarks about foreign-owned spaza shops. Speaking at the Youth League’s 2nd National General Council, he said foreigners should not own spaza shops and argued that certain businesses should be reserved for South Africans.
He further called for the removal of illegal foreign nationals, citing security concerns and the impact on health and education infrastructure. Many South Africans on social media criticised his remarks, describing them as rhetoric without action.
Source: Briefly News
