ANCYL demands economic freedom in Emalahleni’s Jumbo Mall Project

ANCYL demands economic freedom and inclusion for young people and women in Emalahleni’s Jumbo Mall project. A memorandum was submitted to the municipality and construction site representative.

March 26, 2025

Witbank News 2 minutes read

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) branches 12, 14, 15, 17, and 22 have embarked on an Economic Freedom March to express their outrage and disappointment at the handling of the Jumbo Mall project.

They submitted a memorandum of demands, emphasising the need for full inclusion and participation of young people and women in project development.

ANCYL submits a memorandum to Emalahleni Municipality officials and construction site representatives, demanding economic freedom and inclusion for young people and women in the Jumbo Mall project.

The memorandum reads, “This comes after a bogus conduct of establishing a project without a proper consultation with the affected communities.”

Their demands include:

A steering committee composition that includes local government representatives, preferably the councillor, officials, civic and traditional structures, and community development workers.
Officials employed by the Emalahleni local municipality (ELM) should be excluded from the steering committee, unless mandated by the council. Furthermore, persons not eligible to vote and those employed by the project should be excluded from the steering committee.
The appointment of the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) by the steering committee, with a minimum of three CLOs, considering gender equality, is also a key demand.
The implementation of Work Integration Learning, which provides practical skills development for students, is also demanded.
The incubation of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), particularly those owned by women, young people, and the community at large, is also a key demand.
The production of cooperatives capable of manufacturing building materials and the provision of references and experience for SMMEs in relevant fields are also required.
The consideration of informal business owners, who are currently paying fees to operate, and the provision of permits to enable them to sell in Jumbo Mall, is also demanded.
Including taxi associations and SAPS in the steering committee is also a key demand.

They have given the relevant officials seven working days to respond to their demands, warning that “we will be patiently waiting… We will not be silenced or ignored.”

The memorandum of demands was received by ELM officials and a representative from the construction site.

@witbanknews The Economic Freedom March, organised by the ANC Youth League in eMalahleni, is set to kick off from Pap and Vleis and make its way to Jumbo Mall, drawing attention to pressing issues such as youth unemployment and more .The march is expected to commence shortly. #witbank #witbanknews #anc #Mpumalanga #ancyouthleague #emalahleni #Fyp #Youth ♬ original sound – witbanknews