Their DAY has come

People often say that young people don’t care enough about what’s going on in the country, especially whenever elections draw closer.

Recently, three young people, every one a leader in his or her own right, showed Krugersdorp that that’s not always the case and that they care quite a lot about what’s happening in the political space.

At the end of March the new Democratic Alliance Youth League (DAY) leaders were announced and they’ve already hit the ground running to make the best of their time in these positions.

Deacon Nortman, 19, is DAY Mogale City’s newly elected chairperson. He said, “I joined because I have a great desire for change. I have a passion for the youth because we need young and vibrant leadership, but also because the ancillary has so much potential and we have the chance to be the voice of young South Africans. We will serve the youth to our fullest ability, making a real impact and inspiring, taking young leaders to greater heights and becoming future leaders, not politicians.”

Keabetswe Dlokweni, DAY Mogale City’s chairperson of administration said, “I would like to see change in the communities of Mogale City, and to see all the unemployed youth being employed and having a voice for their future. We stand for change and we’re the voice of the nation. United we stand; we are one nation with one voice and we are here to serve the people. I am grateful for the opportunity and would like to see South Africans coming together as one.”

Ntombi Tshabalala, DAY Mogale City’s deputy chairperson of recruitment and campaigns said, “I joined because I see them as the better team, and I like my role in the structure too much. On the evening of 31 March, the DA youth elected its youth leadership in the Mogale City constituency. Truly a great win for the youth, inspiring young leaders participation in politics.”

Deacon added that, “The DAY structure is filled with activists who are beaming with excitement and steadfast in their determination to lead our youth. The leadership will be rolling out a youth activity dialogue, with the aim of coming up with new strategies to address the needs of the youth – one burning issue being the staggering rates of youth unemployment (61,3 percent for the third quarter of 2020). The team aims to achieve youth empowerment by stimulating entrepreneurship and inspiring youth to participate in both the community, as well as engaging with government regarding economic incubators, skills and development programmes, and entrepreneurial propeller projects. In terms of legacy, the team would also like to create a permanent youth platform in Mogale City to allow the youth of tomorrow to create and gain the most from the opportunities offered.”