Sihle Lonzi Protests Youth Unemployment, SA Divided As EFF MP Hands CVS to Ramaphosa
- Sihle Lonzi criticised the government over youth unemployment, noting Gwede Mantashe's comments about it
- The Economic Freedom Fighters' (EFF) Member of Parliament also criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa over the lack of jobs
- Social media users shared mixed reactions to the EFF's strategy to address youth joblessness and government accountability
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE – The Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Sihle Lonzi made a dramatic statement about the youth unemployment rate in the country and the government’s response to it.
Lonzi, the EFF Member of Parliament, handed President Cyril Ramaphosa boxes of CVs from unemployed youth during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate on 18 February 2026. The incident happened during the debate on President Ramaphosa’s SONA speech at a joint sitting of the National Assembly (NA) and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).
Lonzi also accused the government of selling ‘false hope and fake dreams’ to the youth of the nation.
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Lonzi criticises Gwede Mantashe and President Ramaphosa
During his time at the podium, Lonzi held up a stack of CVs, saying they belonged to unemployed youth and even graduates who had been unable to find work.
He then turned his attention to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister, Gwede Mantashe, who recently angered many by suggesting that youngsters were lazy and depended on the government to provide jobs for them, rather than actively looking for employment. He later said that he had been misquoted.
“It is a lie that they are lazy. It is a lie that they sit at home and bask under the sun like Honourable Gwede Mantashe suggests,” Lonzi stated.
Source: Getty Images
Turning his focus back to Ramaphosa, he criticised the president for saying that he went door to door to seek employment in his youth.
“What an insult to the young people who stand in long lines to get a job as a waiter, a bottle girl or a call centre agent. What an insult to the more than 900,000 youth who applied for a mere 5,000 available posts in the South African Police Service training programme,” Lonzi exclaimed.
EFF plans to encourage youth to submit CVs to government offices
The EFF MP added that the party would mobilise unemployed youth to submit CVs directly to government offices. He also indicated that the party would share the president's and minister's email addresses.
“We are going to publicly share your official email addresses - not the fake ones you put on Google - so that the youth can send you their CVs every day until you take the struggle of joblessness seriously,” he said.
South Africans react to Lonzi’s actions
Social media users were left divided by Lonzi’s actions, with some praising the EFF and others criticising him.
Charmaine Nezar Coetzee stated:
“A healthy economy creates jobs.”
Bouga Koulibaly Mogorosi exclaimed:
“The mighty EFF.”
Neale Fortaine asked:
“Must the government give jobs to each and every person?”
Marius Kritzinger said:
“Good strategy that will have no effect at all. The ANC doesn't know how to fix things, while also keeping BEE in the system. They cannot abolish it either because then their voter base will vanish. They are in a situation where they are damned if they do and they are damned if they don't. They stay in power at the cost of the economy.”
Carien De Villiers exclaimed:
“Great move, EFF.”
Simphiwe Godide noted:
“The same political party advocating for illegal immigrants? Governments can create employment opportunities, but the private sector actually employs the public.”
Promise Nomfundow asked:
“How will this help when foreigners fill positions that many unemployed South Africans qualify for? The EFF should start by removing those foreign nationals and placing South Africans graduates in those posts. Talk is cheap.”
Youngsters protest outside Caoe Town City Hall
Briefly News reported that students protested outside the Cape Town City Hall while President Ramaphosa delivered his SONA speech.
Youngsters protested against the housing crisis at universities, as many face eviction and a lack of accommodation.
The Minister of Higher Education, Buti Manamela, assured students they would not be left without shelter.
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Source: Briefly News
