Mbeki tells young voters to demand answers from ruling party
‘Ask the ANC: given what has happened over all these years, what justifies that I vote for you?’
28 August 2023 - 13:05
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Former president Thabo Mbeki says the youth must demand answers from the ruling party before voting. File photo. Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Former president Thabo Mbeki has challenged the youth to question the ruling party’s stance before casting their votes in next year's elections.
“Ask the ANC: given what has happened over all these years, what justifies that I vote for you?” Mbeki said at the University of SA’s Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs.
The former president said the youth must demand answers from the ANC before voting, adding that to vote was to have a view.
“The youth needs to raise those questions [instead of] never participating in voting because that’s part of the process of determining the future of SA,” he said.
According to Mbeki, youth organisations have become “very weak” and are not making an impact on the youth.
Mbeki said he will not campaign for the ANC in next year’s elections.
“When you say I must go campaign next year [and] tell people to vote ANC, how am I going to do that when I know very well the branch of the ANC in this constituency is led by a criminal? You can’t. It is not possible to go and say people must vote for a criminal.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Mbeki tells young voters to demand answers from ruling party
‘Ask the ANC: given what has happened over all these years, what justifies that I vote for you?’
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
Former president Thabo Mbeki has challenged the youth to question the ruling party’s stance before casting their votes in next year's elections.
“Ask the ANC: given what has happened over all these years, what justifies that I vote for you?” Mbeki said at the University of SA’s Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs.
The former president said the youth must demand answers from the ANC before voting, adding that to vote was to have a view.
“The youth needs to raise those questions [instead of] never participating in voting because that’s part of the process of determining the future of SA,” he said.
According to Mbeki, youth organisations have become “very weak” and are not making an impact on the youth.
Mbeki said he will not campaign for the ANC in next year’s elections.
“When you say I must go campaign next year [and] tell people to vote ANC, how am I going to do that when I know very well the branch of the ANC in this constituency is led by a criminal? You can’t. It is not possible to go and say people must vote for a criminal.”
TimesLIVE
WATCH: Multiparty power-sharing pact for 2024 elections
ANC is not intimidated by multiparty charter, says Fikile Mbalula
Bring Dada Morero back to lead Joburg, says Cyril Ramaphosa
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
ANC is not intimidated by multiparty charter, says Fikile Mbalula
Opposition says 2024 election will be a defining moment for SA
DA and ANC tell vital meeting they want law to stabilise coalitions
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.