By Celani Sikhakhane
- IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa warns young people to choose education over alcohol.
- The warning came at the party’s first Youth Summit since Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s death.
IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa has told young party members they’ll wake up one day to find foreigners running South Africa if they don’t stop drinking and focus on education.
Speaking at the IFP Youth Brigade Summit outside the Durban ICC on Tuesday, Hlabisa pleaded with the youth to make better choices.
“I plead with you not to focus on alcohol because that’s where you will destroy your life. That’s where we will have no future leaders but drunkards of which sober foreigners will get a chance to run this country on your behalf while you are busy with alcohol,” said Hlabisa.
He told them about a businessman from his hometown who owns a bottle store but doesn’t drink. “He understands that once he turns to alcohol the business will collapse.”
Hlabisa urged young people to focus on getting skills to help build the country’s economy.
The Summit looked at youth development and how young people can work with and hold accountable the Government of National Unity. It was the first Youth Summit since the death of IFP founder Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
In a surprise show of support, the Youth Brigade, which hasn’t always backed Hlabisa, sang new songs praising him as party president.
This is different from the past when they mostly sang songs about their late leader, leading some analysts to say they were stuck in the past.
Pictured above: IFP President Velenkosini Hlabisa warned young people that if they prioritize alcohol, sober foreigners will be the future leaders of this country.
Source: X
