Youth change allegiance

Eastern Cape youth are flocking to the Democratic Alliance Youth League instead of the once-popular ANC Youth League.

This is against the historical choice by young people to join ANC-aligned youth political platforms such as the Congress of South African Students (Cosas), South African Students Congress (Sasco) and the ANC Youth League at a young age.

Mawethu Kosani from Zwelitsha, a township well known for its contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle, said he approached the DA in search of a “better political home”.

Speaking to the Saturday Dispatch at the DA’s national Federal Congress in Port Elizabeth yesterday, the outgoing University of Fort Hare caucus leader said he had made an informed decision in his matric year to join the DA even though his family were staunch ANC members.

“My father was a staunch ANC member and my aunt still is. My family was bitter about my decision but they had to accept it. Although my family told me all the good things about the ANC, I felt like it was part of indoctrination, so I felt that I need to take my own decision. I thought to myself that if I feel like this [the DA] is the only home that will talk to my needs as a young man, I should join it,” Kosani said.

He said his family was shocked by his decision and asked him to at least consider joining COPE if he was disgruntled with the ANC.

However, the Bachelor of Arts final-year student did not budge and after three months at UFH he co-founded Daso (the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation). At first it was refused recognition by the institution management, but after a court case it was granted recognition as a student formation to contest SRC elections.

The Sweetwaters homeboy said one of the reasons he rejected Sasco and the ANCYL was that they were “not transparent”.

“What makes Daso different…is that we always take the mandate of students…Daso is concerned about transparency and accountability at all times.”

- Siphe Macanda, DispatchLIVE