‘Old people must go!’ Youth protestors call on elderly politicians, including Ramaphosa, to resign

A small group of young protesters gathered outside the ANC’s headquarters in Johannesburg on Monday, calling on “old” Members of Parliament, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and all those named in the Madlanga Commission, to resign.

Chanting “Ramaphosa must fall,” the protesters held placards reading “Ramaphosa must go” during the peaceful demonstration.

Even though it was drizzling, the group continued protesting,  determined to make their voices heard

“Old people must go to rest and stay with their grandchildren, and give young people a chance to lead,” said one frustrated Gauteng resident, Khensani Thwala.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the State President, just turned 73 years old on Monday.

“What we are doing here is not political or meant to sabotage any party. We are here because we are tired - young and old - of the corruption in this country.”

She also voiced dissatisfaction with the exchange rate.

“We want the price of the rand to the dollar to be R7. Not this corruption that is happening. People who are in commissions must be arrested, not have commissions paused so new ones can start,” she said.

She added that anyone found guilty by the Madlanga Commission should be arrested.

Asked who organised the march, she said it was taking place in several provinces.

“We were organised by a lady called Amani Dube. What we are doing is not only here, it’s also happening in KwaZulu-Natal and in almost every province you can think of.”

Thwala from Tsakani in the City of Ekurhuleni and a UNISA student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics, said they decided to protest at ANC headquarters because Ramaphosa leads the Government of National Unity (GNU).

“Ramaphosa is the current president of our country, is he not? He is supposed to defend us. The ANC is leading us, and they are leading the GNU. We are asking them to make a difference. In fact, we don’t want any difference anymore - they must leave. We are done with them. The ANC and its GNU partners must leave; we are tired of them.”

When asked who should replace the current leadership, she hesitated.

“The ones leading us now, we don’t want them. So we should start from scratch and see what to do. We are not standing for any political party.”

She warned that if their demands were not met, they would “cause havoc” and make the country “ungovernable”.

Meanwhile, Shirley Nhlapho, from the Sisterhood Foundation, said they were fed up with corruption and the continued failure to prosecute ministers implicated in wrongdoings.

“We are sick and tired of corruption. We are sick and tired of ministers involved in corrupt activities not being arrested. We are sick and tired of you, ANC government, allowing this to happen and treating us as if we don’t exist - except when you want us to vote.”

Nhlapho also raised concerns about gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.

“We have this problem of GBV and femicide and being blue-ticked. We came here to reject this stupid government. We reject this stupid G20, and we, the people of South Africa, reject this government.”

Although no ANC officials addressed the crowd, Nhlapho said the protesters would not be deterred. The protestors did not have a memorandum of demands.

“This is not the first or last time they will hear from us. On 21 November, we will be on the streets in our purple attire, calling for GBV to fall. We will march until we win.

“It would not surprise us if our demands are not met - we come from 30 years where our demands have not been met. But the difference now is that we will not be quiet anymore. If it takes 30 years on the streets, so be it.”

Some ANC members were seen watching and taking videos from outside the building as the protest unfolded.

The protest took place shortly after ANC electoral committee chairperson and former president Kgalema Motlanthe briefed the media on preparations for the 2026 local government elections.

Women for Change, a women’s rights organisation fighting against gender-based violence and femicide, has recently called on women across South Africa to stay away from work for a day in protest.

The planned action, known as the G20 Women’s Shutdown, is scheduled for November 21, a day before the two-day G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The G20 Leaders Summit will be held from November 22 to 23 in Johannesburg.

The organisation says the aim is to draw attention to the ongoing crisis of rape and murder of women in the country.

IOL