YOUNG LION CLAPS BACK AT "TIGER": MALATJI SLAMS MANTASHE'S "IRRESPONSIBLE" REMARKS

ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji.

By Mpho Dube — Editor-in-Chief, The Azanian_

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ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji, the "Young Lion", has fired a scathing rebuke at ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, aka "The Tiger", over his comments on youth unemployment. Malatji slammed Mantashe's remarks as "irresponsible and wrong".

Addressing the ANC Women's League prayer service, Malatji said Mantashe was "detached from reality" and shouldn't lecture youth about job-seeking. "How do you say to the youth of this country and mothers who are giving their kids money every day to go and apply for jobs that they are lazy?" Malatji asked.

Malatji emphasized that the ANC must stick to its resolutions, not individual opinions. "We don't want your views, we don't want your slogans. We want you to speak resolutions of the ANC and not what you think is right," he said.

The controversy stems from Mantashe's comments that the government isn't responsible for providing jobs and that people should take initiative. Malatji countered that Mantashe, who has never written a CV, shouldn't lecture youth about job-seeking.

The spat highlights tensions within the ANC as it grapples with high youth unemployment (46-58%) and leadership challenges. Malatji's response reflects growing frustration among young ANC members with perceived out-of-touch leadership.