Youth are the kingmakers in election 2014   

Note to Editors: This extract is based on a speech delivered by the DA Youth Leader, Mbali Ntuli, at a town hall address in Knysna in the Western Cape.

Goeie Dag, Molweni, Sanibonani, Viva DA Viva!!

Next year's elections will be the most important in the history of South Africa. It will be the 5th round of democratic national elections since 1994, and will mark the 20 year anniversary of democracy in South Africa. It comes at a crucial time in our history.  

We face serious challenges with education, and access to tertiary education in particular, we face the highest youth unemployment rate in our history, we face economic exclusion, in especially rural areas, and we continue to face extreme inequality.

I think to fully understand these challenges, we need to sit back for a moment and look at where our country is today and what has happened in the last few years.

We all know and respect the ANC's contribution in securing South Africa's freedom in 1994. In the years after 1994, our country was moving in the right direction, and things were getting better slowly. Under President Mandela, and for most of President Mbeki's time in office, government was helping to bring people together, and to slowly undo the economic damage of apartheid. It is a mammoth task to undo so many years of economic exclusion, so nobody expected government to solve the problem immediately. 

Everyone knew it would take time. And we started to see some slow progress being made. More schools were being built, social grants were put in place to help the poor, many people received RDP houses, water and electricity and we got a new constitution that protected everyone's rights. Life slowly got better.

But then at some point something went wrong. I think it has to do with when Jacob Zuma took over. Around that time things started changing. All of a sudden, we just started hearing about more and more and more stories of corruption. 

Every day there's another scandal: Hundreds of millions spent on the president's personal house at Nkandla, expensive cars, or luxury hotel stays, or rigged tenders, or government cash going to connected individuals, or government credit cards being used to pay for personal expenses, or tax evasion or fraud or selling out the country to the Guptas. The list goes on and on and on. 

It has become clear that right at the very top of our government there is a group of individuals - connected to Jacob Zuma - who are systematically using their own political influence to enrich themselves, their families, their friends and their political allies. 

The problem is that all of this corruption means that the country's economy is struggling. Because of this corruption, there are fewer jobs, less money for schools, less money for health care, less money for youth empowerment, less money to take South Africa forward. 

And since President Zuma took over, I think we can all feel it: South Africa is slowly drifting, and life isn't becoming better. Unemployment is the highest it has ever been. People, and young people especially, cannot find jobs. I am so disappointed that this has happened in our country. 

But that is why the DA has had to step forward. Someone needs to take the struggle for a better life for all forward. Because of corruption, the current government can't do it anymore.

We want to focus on creating more jobs. We want to do this, because we know that a job is the best way to take control of your own life, and to make things better.

To get more jobs for young people, the DA will launch a youth wage subsidy. That might sound very complicated, but what it really means is that a DA government will help small businesses hire more young people. Studies have shown that it can help facilitate up to 400 000 jobs for young people within three years. Think about it: 400 000 new jobs - specifically for people between the age of 18 and 29. If you are in that age group and unemployed, this policy could change your life by helping you get a job.

We also want to provide free internet to pupils in every school where we govern. Here in the Western Cape where we govern, we will complete the internet roll-out to every single school in the province by the end of this year. Internet is very, very important because it gives access to information and opportunity. Young people can look on the internet for job opportunities, they can learn things through the internet - and yes they can update their facebook and twitter - for free. 

We want to make sure young people benefit from land reform. Black and coloured people need to have their land restored to them. But government is failing to make land reform work, because farmers don't get enough financial support after they receive their farms. We want to fix this, and we want to make sure that young people also have a stake in land reform. 

We also want to change the education system, so that young people are prepared for the job market in school. Too many people graduate from high school or even universities without the skills to find a job. They remain unemployed even with an education. To fix this, we need to fix the education system. That means proper school infrastructure, internet in schools, textbooks, properly trained teachers and the right subjects. 

We will also make sure government tenders go to young people, small businesses and previously disadvantaged individuals. If you are under 30, black, coloured or Indian and run a small business, DA governments would love to do business with you. That way, we use government work to empower young people and undo the damage of apartheid. 

The best of all is that we can easily pay for all of these ideas if we cut out corruption. Every year, we lose R30 billion to corruption in South Africa. That's 30 000 million rand. If we cut that out, and spend the money smartly, we can put South Africa back on track. 

So that is why you all need to register to vote, and vote in next year's election. Your votes can make this happen. If young people everywhere get together, and vote for the DA, they can be the kingmakers in this election. The youth can put our country back on the right track. 

I want finish off by saying that when you make your choice to vote next year, choose wisely and choose carefully. Don't vote for one of the small parties. Parties can only make a difference in your life if they get into government. The only parties than can get into government are the ANC or the DA. Voting for Agang, Cope, UDM or any of the other smaller ones is a wasted vote - they can't win and can't impact your life. 

Your choice is simple next year: Jacob Zuma or the DA. 

A vote for the DA will stop corruption, bring more jobs, push back poverty, and restart the struggle for a better life for all. 

If you believe what I believe, If you believe that we should make life better for everyone, if you believe we must stop corruption, if you believe that we need more jobs, if you believe that we can push the struggle for a better life forward again, if you believe we can be a fair country - if you believe these things - I ask you to register to vote and vote DA with me next year. 

Let's put South Africa back on track and rekindle the dream of a better life for all.

I thank you. 

Issued by the DA Youth, August 3 2013

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