Sibongakonke Shoba
6 November 2008
Johannesburg — LEADERS of the Shikota party's youth wing yesterday faced grilling media questions about their new movement's leaders' record while serving in the African National Congress (ANC) government.
Reporters asked youth convener Anele Mda and her panelists why South Africans should trust leaders who were part of a government that failed to deliver on its promises.
Mda said people who were destined for greater things started by failing. "You start by failing then you become a triumphalist," she said.
Shikota party convener and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, interim chairman and former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota, and party treasurer and former deputy defence minister Mluleki George broke away from the ANC to form their yet to be named party. They have claimed to be able to defeat the ANC at next year's election.
However, they have not yet stated how different their policies would be from the ruling party's.
Mda later said the government's failure should not be blamed on individuals as they were part of a collective. "They were in government as a collective, not as individuals."
National youth co-ordinator Malusi Booi stepped in to defend Shilowa, saying even the opposition praised his work after his resignation. "He leaves the province in a good state," said Booi.
Booi said the ANC leadership had never said "anything bad" about Shilowa and Lekota while they were in the government.
Shilowa was instrumental in government programmes which allowed for economic growth in the province. But Lekota and George were criticised for failing to ensure job security for soldiers who worked under employment contracts of less than a year. A number of soldiers were retrenched under this system.
Mda said the youth wing of the Shikota party would focus on education, health, the economy and the fight against crime, but she was thin on detail.
She said the youth must engage in responsible living and healthy lifestyles. The youth wing would tackle diseases, said Mda, without saying how.
On the economy, Mda said the youth had a right to participate in economic activity, hence her party would partner skills development institutions to challenge the shortage of skills.
She said her party would work closely with police to ensure that there was "no market" for criminals in communities.
The youth wing would hold a conference where policy would be discussed and leaders elected on January 16 next year.
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