FILE PHOTO: ANCYL Members and ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula during their meeting at Luthuli House. PICTURE: ANCYL/Twitter
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0 JOHANNESBURG: The long-awaited conference is expected to kick off today and ends on Tuesday.
Members of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League have cried foul over what they allege heavy-handed interference from the party’s secretary general, Mr Fikile Mbalula. The youth league members expressed disappointment after the electoral committee announced the names of those nominated by the branches.
During the media briefing on the state of readiness of the conference on Thursday, the leader of the committee, Mr Donald Selamolela said they do not doubt that the conference will sit until its end.
“We are confident that the conference will continue tomorrow,” Selamolela said.
According to the committee, the following candidates reached the required 20% threshold to be on the ballot paper for the league’s congress which includes, Mr Collen Malatji from Gauteng province for the position of president, followed by Ms Phumzile Mgcina hailing from KwaZulu-Natal vying to be the deputy president of the youth league.
The committee further indicated that there were 2 972 branches that have registered to participate in the much-anticipated conference. For the position of secretary, Mr Mntuwoxolo Ngudle is to stand alone despite the growing calls for Mr Khulekani Skhosana to ascend to that position.
To position of deputy secretary, who will assist Mr Ngudle in the secretary general office – should he be elected is Ms Tsakani Shiviti from the Limpopo province hoping to sway delegates to rally behind her name.
Surprisingly, Mpumalanga province is also represented yet again with the position of treasurer by the outspoken member of the youth league, Mr Zwelo Masilela.
The candidates were nominated in the provinces, those who will be nominated from the floor should meet the 25% threshold for them to be eligible to contest.
Meanwhile, many members of the ANCYL have come out strongly against what they view as a predetermined outcome of the Congress with some holding views that this is Mr Mbalula’s selected candidates.
“Comrade Mbalula continues to display his arrogance in our process. He is hellbent to have his way despite claiming that the ANCYL is independent,” said the member who is the voting delegate.
However, Mr Selamolela cleared the allegations that Mr Mbalula and other members of the party were unlawfully interfering in the youth league’s affairs.
He indicated that the members would be involved in the youth league in other activities to ensure that operations were conducted properly ahead of the conference.
Furthermore, for the success of the conference, according to Mr Andrew Dipela, who is part of the electoral committee, said they were ready for anything that will happen during the conference.
Mr Dipela said it was up to the delegates to decide whether they want the conference to be a success or not.
“The NYTT shared the roadmap with the branches for them to understand the process during the congress,” he said.
The league last held an elective conference in 2015 and was disbanded in 2019 after it failed to hold an elective conference at the end of Mr Collen Maine’s reign.
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