The WC branch of the SA Youth Council has accused Premier Helen Zille of being “too busy” to engage with the province’s youth.
|||Cape Town - The Western Cape branch of the SA Youth Council has accused Premier Helen Zille of being “too busy” to engage with the province’s youth.
Andile Ndevu, the council’s provincial secretary, slammed Zille and the provincial government for declining an invitation to the Green Economy National Youth Summit, which was opened by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe in Cape Town on Monday.
He said Zille’s failure to attend the summit was an “insult” to the province’s youth and proved that she “does not care about young people”.
Ndevu said an invitation was sent to Zille’s office “weeks ago” and that the council had even met senior provincial government officials to discuss the event.
“They declined without any reasons,” he said. “But we are not disappointed; we expected it.”
Zille’s spokesman Zak Mbhele said Zille had made prior commitments.
“These invites generally come in at short notice, and unfortunately, the premier could not make it.”
Mbhele said the claims by Ndevu that Zille did not care about the youth were absurd.
“Mr Ndevu is misinformed,” Mbhele said. “The Western Cape government is driving integrated youth development across many departments.”
Opening the summit on Monday, Motlanthe said there were opportunities for the youth to contribute to clean energy through wind, solar and other renewable sources.
“I would like to encourage the private sector to make funding available for research and innovation,” he said.
clayton.barnes@inl.co.za
Cape Argus