ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji says the status of the country’s economy is worrying, because the majority of young people are languishing in poverty.

He was delivering the June 16 lecture which scores of students attended at the University of Limpopo in Mankweng. Malatji tackled various issues that are affecting young people including high unemployment, drugs and crime. He also says the ANC needs to promote young people to leadership positions and stop harboring pensioners in parliament.

“Those who want to go to old age home must go to old age homes. Government is a corridor of power it is not an old age home. You can’t make laws and say when people turn sixty five they are pensioners but those who are making the laws are pensioners themselves. Now they are going against the laws they have made. It is illegal for anyone above sixty five years to be in parliament, they must leave and make space for the youth. The youth have paid their dues and must now take over all corridors of power. We are tired of being led by corrupt officials, our time is now.”

The youth is ready to lead this country. We have paid our dues to those who fought for our democracy before 1994. Now we are ready, willing and able to take over the corridors of power. We can’t be on the sidelines forever. #June16Lecture #ANCYLatWork pic.twitter.com/AD5QNHWYaf

— Thlologelo Collen Malatji (@Collen_Malatji3) June 14, 2025