By Mohamed Zayed, iNews Cayman special correspondent

Nelson Mandela is known to the world as one of the strongest advocates for democracy and equality in the developed and developing worlds. If someone mentions the black continent, Nelson Mandela would come to his mind first. But over the past 18 years, Nelson Mandela’s ruling African National Congress took power, his legacy became ink on paper, a lot has changed negatively.  But the African youth take the brunt of accumulative nepotism and corruption.

Young South Africans between 17 and 30 think that Nelson doesn’t add value to them. And those youths did not suffer from apartheid as their parents and grandfathers. Nelson Mandela has built a party based on corruption and vested interests; they don’t care about the people especially the young. Politicians seek seats in the parliament or high positions in the government. As a result of contentions among the old and youth leadership, the old guards decided to purge the leadership of prominent youth leaders such as Julius Malema, the Former African National Congress Youth President. He was trying to inject new blood in the ruling party, and put a new vision for South Africa with the help of his fellow young South Africans.

Though South Africa is the biggest economy on the continent, South Africa’s finance minister stated recently that over 40% of the youth under 30, most of them being university graduates, are unemployed, and 20% drops in young employment. South Africa has the biggest platinum reserves in the world, natural zoos and tourist resorts in many different parts there. South Africa’s GDP growth has reached 3.1% in late 2011. Some young Africans are watching South Africa and Asian Tigers have flourished within a few years while the ruling party took power since 1994. South Korea is one of the most-fast growing economies in the world. South Africa is a crime-ridden country. It is obvious during hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Clashes within the African National Congress

distracted the leaders from encouraging small businesses, injecting money in infrastructure to attract foreign investment to save thousands for those who spend most of their lifetime studying, hoping that they will good opportunities in the labour market. Corruption seems widespread, research by TNS South Africa pointed out that 83 % of urban people think that corruption is a way of life in society. The government couldn’t deliver textbooks to thousands of students this year .

The recent Marikana massacre left 34 shot dead, thousands injured and others detained as the miners were going on strike to raise the salary from US$500 to US$1500. This disaster recalls the apartheid era when there was no dignity for human beings. It is clear that the government has failed to stem strikes peacefully; they depended on the security solution. But some would claim that striking miners, armed with clubs and machetes, have attacked the police stationed at the mine site and the latter must defend themselves, but the simplest way to deter this attack is to shoot in the air to alarm them or in self-defense, if necessary, shoot them in the leg. But their reply is inhuman, hunting them one after another like birds in the sky.

Mandela’s grandson heir NTC MP Mandela, 38, recently has been accused of contempt for the court warrant after he travelled to China to judge Miss Universe competition, ignoring summons to appear in court. The prosecution office has stated that Mandela has been asked to appear in court for a lawsuit to pay maintenance to his first wife before divorce, but he refused.