FILE PHOTO: ANCYL members attending a lecture. PICTURE: Supplied
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0 JOHANNESBURG: Youth League members are set to elect new leaders 8 years after their last conference which elected Collen Maine and Njabulo Nzuza.
Members of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League have raised concerns over what they call ‘interference in the affairs in the upcoming conference’ set to take place at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg over the weekend. One of the leaders singled out in this is the former deputy minister of higher education and training and ANC National Executive Member, Mr Mduduzi Manana.
According to the sources, has been accused of taking instructions from the ANC Secretary General, Mr Fikile Mbalula and enforcing them into the affairs of the youth league.
The source said, “he uses his money to try and influence the outcome of the congress but he does so at the behest of SG”, about Mr Mbalula.”
The youth league is meant to serve as an independent body of the ANC but with its imminent revival, leaders in the party’s NEC have begun meddling in the league’s affairs. The NYTT has also issued a statement condemning certain leaders within the ANC.
“NYWTT expressed concerns regarding the heavy-handed approach taken by some ANC leaders in aspects of the organisation. The interference and at times, apparent favouritism towards specific candidates poses a threat to the credibility of the congress,” the structure said in the statement.
“The NWTT remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the autonomy of the ANCYL and upholding the integrity of the congress.
“The NWTT will engage with the ANC officials to address the issues and find ways to ensure that the credibility of the congress is maintained. It is essential that the ANCYL’s congress reflect the democratic values and principles upon which the organisation was founded,” the statement reads.
In the Eastern Cape, the youth league has accused the provincial secretary, Mr Lulama Ngcukayitobi of trying to influence the outcome of the provincial conference. The conference elected Mr Luntu Sokutu as chair, Zikhona Pakade as deputy chair, Bongani Mani as secretary, Athi Daniso as deputy secretary and Unathi Hlathuka as treasurer.
The conference that elected new youth leadership in the still of the night was not supposed to go ahead, Mr Mbalula said in his strongly worded letter to the NYTT.
In a letter the Republic Mail has seen, Mr Mbalula said some of the NYTT members spread false information that in a meeting with them on Monday evening he gave the conference the go-ahead when he had not.
He also sent the letter to NYTT convener Mr Xola Nqola, who is said to have overseen the conference.
The NYTT co-ordinator Nomasonto Motaung, also copied in the letter, has been vindicated after she also sent a letter on Monday cautioning against the conference.
Mr Mbalula said he found the behaviour of some NYTT members “unacceptable and amounts to gross ill-discipline and defiance”.
“This leaves the SGO with no option but to take the necessary corrective measures.”
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