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The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) has received with shock and utter dismay the passing on of yet another young talented leader Sindiso Magaqa. It has now become a usual practise that every week, we mourn the passing of our young people not through natural means but due to the violence and brutality that visits our young people.

Sindiso Magaqa is a former Secretary General of the largest youth formation in the country, having served the ANC Youth League at all levels from its branch structures in uMzimkhulu where he hails from, through to the Harry Gwala region as well as rising to become the Provincial Deputy Chairperson of the ANC Youth League in the Kwazulu-Natal Province. Sindiso Magaqa has also served as a Senior Official in the uMzimkhulu Municipality and at the time of his death was a Councillor and a member of the Mayoral Committee.

Sindiso Magaqa represents a generation of young people who defined their mission and pursued it with vigour and with no compromise. It is that generation of young people that declared that the second transition of our democratic breakthrough needed to address head on the economic participation of young people. They declared “Economic Freedom in our Llifetime” as a clarion call to action, they rallied young people within the ruling party as well as the country as a whole to demand that young people have a share in the wealth of the country.

They decried the high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequalities and raised these issues sharply, at times to a great discomfort of the conservative elements in our society. They dared young people to think outside the box and imagine a future that they would one day inherit.

Due to this steadfastness and resolve, as well as the militant and radical manner in which they pursued the agenda for economic freedom in our lifetime, like all other revolutionary struggles, they faced a backlash and many became casualties in pursued of the course. Sindiso Magaqa represented the best out of that generation, even when faced with questions around his discipline, he humbled himself and continued to be found amongst his people of uMzimkhulu and like a star, rose again to become a Councillor who continued to pursue the agenda of youth development.

The NYDA is deeply saddened that Sindiso Magaqa has succumbed to gunshot wounds visited upon him by bloodthirsty mercenaries who prey on innocent young people thereby undermining the future of this country. We will continue to engage the Ministry of Police to address this matter of violent crime in this country and make an example of those who think they can fire shots at the youth of this country with the hope to get away with such a heinous crime.

This year has been a dark year for the youth of this country, we have buried young women who fell at the mercy of their loved ones, we buried our creative arts stars such as Dumi Masilela who also fell at the barrel of a gun and we are saying it is enough!

We wish to extend our collective condolences to the family of Sindiso Magaqa, his mother, his wife, his fellow Councillors, the young people of uMzimkhulu who lost a pillar and role model, the young people of Harry Gwala, KwaZulu Natal and the young people of South Africa, especially his organisation, the ANC Youth League.

We wish to say that the agenda for youth development will be pursued with vigour in his honour and the struggle for economic emancipation of the youth of this country remains firmly on course, his death shall not be in vain, victory is indeed certain.

May his soul rest in peace.

Issued by National Youth Development Agency