From Drum Magazine 5 June 2014
When South Africa’s fifth Parliament was recently convened, a few of the hot seats were allocated to some of the youngest members ever sworn in. For example, the newly formed Economic Freedom Fighters’ 25 Members of Parliament (MPs) have an average age of 35 and its outspoken leader Julius Malema is a tender 33 years of age. But he is by no means the youngest MP in the house: that record belongs to the Democratic Alliance’s Yusuf Cassim, who is a mere 24 years old. The politically ambitious youngsters will enjoy some of the contentious perks of the job, the biggest being the R900 000 per annum salary for ordinary MPs.
Other perks include:
- 86 single economy-class air journeys
- Accommodation in the parliamentary villages
- Free airport parking
- Reimbursed allowances for travel costs between airport and home
- Travel perks for their dependents.
- Here are some of the new young MPs and their plans for their new positions of power
Pule Mabe
Age: 34
Born: 19 March 1980
Party: ANC
Pule is the ANC Youth League’s former treasurer and in 2013 was the youngest member to be part of the National Executive Committee. An owner of publishing, printing and media company KG Media, Pule says he wants to affirm policies that put the country and its people first in Parliament. He holds a National Diploma in Journalism from Tshwane University and has published a book about his grandmother titled Koko. He says, “In politics, as in society, the best mentor is one’s circumstances and prevailing conditions.”
Yusuf Cassim
Age: 24
Born: 5 January 1990
Party: Democratic Alliance
While studying at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth in 2009, Yusuf got a taste of what it was like to serve the people when he was elected as chair of the Muslim Student Association. He says he’s most passionate about student issues and, unsurprisingly, he will champion the cause of free higher education in Parliament. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to represent young people,” he says. “I see it as a platform to raise issues affecting young people and redressing legacies of the past.”
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Mbuyiseni Ndlozi
Age: 29
Born: 9 May 1985
Party: EFF
Mbuyiseni has served as the official spokesperson for the Economic Freedom Fighters since late last year. Currently a PhD student in Political Sociology at Wits University, his research explores the question of how black youth is constituted and constitutes itself as a “distinct political subject category”. He is also involved in the struggles of outsourced workers on campus. “The EFF will keep alive the agenda of economic emancipation in Parliament,” says Mbuyiseni.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa
Age: 27
Born: 12 June 1987
Party: IFP
He’s the former head of IFP’s youth brigade and youth unemployment is an issue close to his heart.
“We need to expedite policies of job creation and education,” Mkhuleko urges. He believes in constructive engagement with other parties and is especially looking forward to working together to reach the same goals. “When the government fails the people suffer,” he emphasises.
Phumzile van Damme
Age: 31
Born: 20 July 1983
Party: DA
A graduate from Rhodes University where she majored in political science, international relations and law, Phumzile’s political career took off straight after university, when she joined the Democratic Alliance as research officer. Phumzile says she’s looking forward to being at the centre of decision-making. “I’m looking forward to keeping the government accountable and am also hoping to inject some excitement into the parliamentary proceedings,” she says.
Mduduzi Manana
Age: 30
Born: 12 February 1984
Party: ANC
Mduduzi credits his mother and the works of former ANC president Oliver Tambo as the factors that inspired his political career. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal with a BA degree in Political Science and is currently studying towards a Master’s in Public Administration. He believes the government needs to move quickly to create jobs for young people. “That’s an area that can set us back in the gains that we’ve made over the years,” he warns.
Floyd Shivambu
Age: 31
Born: 1 January 1983
Party: EFF
As one of the former controversial members of the ANC’s Youth League, along with Julius Malema, he’s a leading light of the Economic Freedom Fighters and now its “commissar and Chief of Staff”. He admits politics take up most of his time. On his Twitter profile he describes himself as “Activist. Believes in Dialectical Materialism and Labour Theory of Value”. Floyd is part of the central command of the EFF, focusing on research, policy and political education.
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Makashule Gana
Age: 31
Born: 11 August 1983
Party: DA
Describing himself as a rural boy from Limpopo, Makashule graduated from North West University with a BSc in Mathematics and Science before joining the DA. He is also the product of the DA Young Leaders programme, in which he participated during 2008. The former leader of the DA Youth says, “I represent the aspirations of young people and higher education, an area that hasn’t been focused on much, and would like to shed light on it.”
Marius Redelinghuys
Age: 26
Born:15 September 1987
Party: Democratic Alliance
The DA’s former Director of Communications and Research in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature is proud to represent Afrikaners who want to be part of the changing landscape of South African
politics. The University of Pretoria graduate and Chairperson of the Mandela Rhodes Community holds former president Nelson Mandela, Afrikaner lawyer Bram Fischer and South African author Max Du Preez in very high regard: he credits them, along with Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota, with promoting a diverse and reconciliatory South Africa. He sees Parliament as a platform for questioning why certain things happen and, like his counterparts, accountability is high on his agenda in Parliament.
Zakhele Mbhele
Age: 29
Born: 9 November 1984
Party: DA
Zakhele has been active in the Democratic Alliance for almost nine years, beginning while at Wits as office-bearer in the youth wing. He has since served in various positions. Like Phumzile van Damme and Makashule Gana, he was selected for the DA Young Leaders’ Programme in 2008, which is the party’s leadership development and mentoring programme for promising future leaders. He then served in the Premier’s office as Helen Zille’s spokesperson from 2011 to 2014. Zakhele says of his new post, “I’m looking forward to discussing legislation in portfolio committees, standing committees and site visits, parliamentary debates and driving relevant issues in the media.”
