Sizophila Mkhize, who was recently elected to the KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial committee, is out on a mission to ensure that the minority groups do not get a bigger pie in the economy of the province.
Mkhize, who is one of the front runners to lead the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), believes the country has cowards as leaders who fear minority groups that continue to hold the country to ransom.
In an wide-ranging interview with Sunday World, the Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal hinterland-born Mkhize lamented how government and political leadership has downplayed the Phoenix murders during the 2021 July unrest.
“I think I’ll repeat what I said in July last year that we have a leadership crisis in South Africa. We do not have people who are honest to themselves or honest to us as South Africans,” said Mkhize.
“I don’t think that what happened in Phoenix should have been downplayed in the manner that it was. And I do not know why some leaders are running away from calling it a massacre.”
Mkhize warned that there is a risk that what happened in Phoenix, where more than 30 people were brutally killed allegedly by people of Indian descent, is likely to happen again.
“I think it’s something we’re going to see again each time racism finds a chance. The economy of KwaZulu-Natal and eThekwini is in the hands of the Indians and the leadership doesn’t want to speak about it. When we speak, we’re told that we’re racists, which I do not think it’s fair.”
Mkhize also called for government departments in the province and the eThekwini metro to publicly disclose the beneficiaries of their lucrative contracts, saying these often go to Indian business people.
Mkhize, who is often referred to as Mkabayi among her peers, also weighed in on the ANCYL leadership race, saying it is the time for women to occupy the top echelons of the young lions.
She was accorded the name Mkabayi while she was leading the Congress of South African Students as its provincial female chairperson.
She added that the league should get its power back by being a necessary irritation to the mother body and influence policy which will address challenges faced by young people.
On her candidature and receiving the nod to be one of the leaders to lead the new chapter of the organisation, she said she will avail herself for any position.
“I’ve led the ANCYL at a young age of 19 as regional deputy secretary for Musa Dladla region. I then made my way to the ANCYL executive committee before it was disbanded. The contributions I’ve made are too much to be ignored.”
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