In his teachings on nationalism, University of Johannesburg’s Prof Mcebisi Ndletyana refers to a Polish leader who felt that the people of Poland needed to be taught to be Polish. Meaning that they were not, according to him, behaving like Polish nationals were supposed to. In this regard, as Norman Davies once wrote, Polish nationalism was "a doctrine...to create a nation by arousing people's awareness of their nationality, and to mobilize their feelings into a vehicle for political action". Similarly, it appears like the youth of South Africa need to be taught to be South African youths and accordingly behave like young people of South Africa. Rhetorical as it may sound, the current generation of South African youths are not behaving in position with the past young generations. For the purposes of this article, younger generation refers to political activists of the 80s, 90s and the millennium.

It is recorded that the youths of South Africa have upon resolve, changed the cause of historical events. From the fearless young Tsietsi Mashinini, Ephraim Mogale and Solomon Mahlangu, to Nokhuthula Simelane and Peter Mokaba, young people in South Africa have always proved that a resolved generational mission is achievable. South African youths are known to have been politically impatient with deceit and lies, uninspired by mediocrity, intolerant of corruption, edgy and irritable when things don’t go right. When former ANC president, Oliver Tambo commanded the youths of the time through a message of the NEC on the 73rd Anniversary of ANC on 8 January 1985, which said they must render South Africa ungovernable, the message fell on a compliant generation. The highest form of nationalism and patriotism is being able to rise to defend the dignity of your people. For South African youths, the future should be now. There is no miracle that will happen to change the current sad state of affairs in South Africa. This situation can only be changed by a resolute and determined people, especially the younger ones. And, the sooner activists of the 80s, 90s and the millennium recognized their role in society, the better. 

Using the ANC as a case study, the ANCYL was a vibrant arm of the former liberation movement. The ANC have killed its Youth League and replaced it with a dubious structure called the ANC National Youth Task Team. The ANCYL that influenced the ANC from the 1940s is no more. E.g. 2010 ANC NGC in Durban when the Youth League sponsored and influenced the adoption of a resolution on Nationalization of mines. Unfortunately in political terms, the 80s and 90s group are not “ground forces” anymore. They are an elite that does not participate in organizational processes. They only attend conferences and participate through PBF gala dinners, leaving the organization they helped to build suffering and lacking their active experience and leadership. With some being sidelined, eventually most have been discourage and have lost interest thus dedicating their time on businesses and family. Meanwhile, the millennium lot are heavily entrenched in factions. Their PECs and RECs have overstayed their terms of office. They don’t even have a national structure. Like their predecessors, they are highly disillusioned. Many are always used by their seniors to ascend to power but dumped in favor of their more sophisticated counterparts after “delivering branches” and votes for their handlers. At the moment, their militancy finds no resonance in the party. They are redundant and feeling useless. Sadly, these are indeed the lot that conducts door-to-door campaigns like no other. For now they remain demobilized. There is currently a strong move to rescue the YL and rebuild its structures. That ANCYL must be one that is not going to be consumed in factional battles but one that advances youth challenges, fight poverty, job creation, GBV, patriarchy etc. The sooner young people realize that older people will NEVER give up power then they will know that THEY ARE ON THEIR OWN. Old people cannot rebuild the Youth League. It is not in their interest. World history is clear: JF Kennedy was 43 when he became president of the USA and Barack Obama was 47. Chancellor of Austria, Sebastian Kurz is 33, Sanna Marin, Finland Prime Minister is 34, Nayib Bukele,      President of El Salvador is 39,Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand and Costa Rica President, Carlos Alvarado Quesada are both 40 years old. Meanwhile, Oleksiy Honcharuk became the youngest-ever Prime Minister of Ukraine at the age 35 in August 2019. Leo Varadkar was 38 when he became Ireland Prime Minister in 2017. France’s Emmanuel Macron is today 42 while the Prime Minister of Tunisia, Youssef Chahed is 44 years old. The point in pursuit is not about government positions the aforementioned hold, but the decisions they took to lead their people when change was necessary. Therefore when things don’t go well in a country, the question is, where are the youths? They should be providing moral caution but are not. Their paralysis should worry any developing democratic state. Rahohang masole…ntwa ea lwanwa!