’We implore the ANC to trust us as young people who have the qualifications and capabilities to implement the policies of the ANC in municipalities.’
THE ANC Youth League regional congress preparatory committee (ANCYL RCPC) of Frances Baard has endorsed Kagisho Dante Sonyoni to be Sol Plaatje Municipality’s youngest mayor at the age of 26 years.
The new batch of councillors will be inaugurated at Sol Plaatje Municipality on Tuesday.
Sonyoni will contest for the position alongside ANC Frances Baard regional treasurer Nondumiso Buda, who has also been punted to be Sol Plaatje Municipality’s next executive mayor.
Buda was listed as number one on the ANCs list of candidates for the local government elections.
ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga said they would present the names of three mayoral candidates for Sol Plaatje Municipality to the party’s national executive committee on Sunday.
“All our councillor and mayoral lists have been finalised,” said Ngxanga.
He confirmed that Sonyoni was included on the list of mayoral candidates.
ANCYL RCPC spokesperson Thato Kesekile meanwhile believes that it is time to “rejuvenate” municipal councils with young, educated and talented minds.
“Some young members who emerged as ward and proportional representative councillors have been identified and invited to mayoral Interviews. The RCPC is happy that the ANC has made these considerations and wishes all
candidates the best in these elections,” said Kesekile.
He believes that Sonyoni is equipped to lead the municipality.
“Sonyoni graduated with an Honours degree in economics and obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of North West. He is currently
studying towards a Master’s degree in economics.”
Kesekile added that youths had a duty to unite and fight for economic freedom to liberate people from the shackles of poverty.
“This is a generational mission that we dare not fail. We implore the ANC to trust us as young people who have the qualifications and capabilities to implement the policies of the ANC in municipalities.”
He attributed the poor performance of the ANC in the local government elections – with 50.55 percent of the vote in the Province and 49.69 percent in the Frances Baard District – to voter apathy.
“This was triggered by various challenges such as a lack of service delivery in all municipalities where voters withheld their votes as a way of protesting and venting their frustrations.
“Should the ANC not make service delivery fashionable, it will have no choice but to co-govern with other parties through coalitions.”
Kesekile added that intra-organisational tensions resulted in the mushrooming of
service delivery forums.
“These forums and other parties, though devoid of political legitimacy, are a reality that the ANC has to deal with for the benefit of the people.”
The ANCYL RCPC has proposed the deployment of young people to district municipalities:
1. Speaker of Magareng Municipality – Bonakele Plata
2. Speaker of Phokwane Municipality – Precious Selogilwe
3. Speaker of Dikgatlong Municipality – Letlhogonolo Phetlane
4. Mayor of Sol Plaatje Municipality – Kagisho Sonyoni
Sonia Bosman as member of the mayoral committee (MMC)
