ANCYL’s future on new NEC’s to-do list

Acting ANC Youth League president Ronald Lamola congratulates newly elected President Jacob Zuma at Mangaung. Picture: Leon Sadiki/City Press

One of the first tasks of the ANC’s new national executive committee (NEC), to be announced later today, will be to decide on whether or not to disband the ANC Youth League.

Outgoing NEC member Febe Potgieter-Gqubule told journalists at a briefing late last night “the NEC was given the mandate to urgently intervene and assess the state of the ANC Youth League and its stance towards the motherbody”.

She said the NEC would work with the league to resolve the problems. “The league is an organ of the ANC,” she said.

The ANC in Mpumalanga last night tabled a motion to disband the league’s national executive committee, and the matter was referred to the NEC after debate.

The call to disband the league’s national executive committee was based on the fact that only two of its top five leaders are left after former league president Julius Malema was expelled, secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa was suspended by the ANC’s disciplinary committee and treasurer-general Pule Mabe was suspended following a vote of no confidence by the league.

Another reason for its disbandment that will be advanced is the deterioration of the league’s relations with its motherbody.

On Sunday Malema and suspended spokesperson Floyd Shivambu wrote a letter to conference to ask delegates to reconsider their reinstatement, but ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the letter was received too late to put the issue on the programme.