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ANC Youth League disbanded in Eastern Cape

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The ANCYL leadership elected at the Wilsonia elective conference are, from left, Fezeka Nkomonye (deputy secretary), Butsha Lali (provincial secretary), Zolani Kabane (deputy chairperson) and Nathi Nqoko (provincial chairman).
The ANCYL leadership elected at the Wilsonia elective conference are, from left, Fezeka Nkomonye (deputy secretary), Butsha Lali (provincial secretary), Zolani Kabane (deputy chairperson) and Nathi Nqoko (provincial chairman).

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Eastern Cape is reeling following its disbandment by its national executive committee (NEC), apparently for supporting calls for the resignation of President Jacob Zuma.

Butsha Lali, the secretary of the ANCYL in the Eastern Cape, said they were shocked about the decision to disband their structure – specifically because it was done through the media and they were yet to receive formal correspondence communicating the decision.

“We are shocked because we have a term that is ending in December. We did not see it coming. We were obviously very disappointed and thought the action was unfair and uncalled for,” Lali said.

Speaking to City Press on Thursday, Lali said a meeting of the provincial executive committee (PEC) of the ANCYL sat on Monday to discuss the way forward, and had resolved to appeal their disbandment on the basis that it was “organisationally unjustifiable’’.

Lali said an appeal was made formally this week with the NEC officials of the ANC, and they were awaiting a response from the office of secretary-general Gwede Mantashe on when they would be given a hearing so they could state their case.

The provincial youth league leader disputed suggestions that, during the PEC, they had called for Zuma to resign, but would not be drawn into commenting on whether Eastern Cape branches had done so.

Only the PEC has been disbanded – all eight regions of the province and branches are still intact. The disbandment comes few weeks after the NEC of the youth league held consultative meetings around the country to get a sense of where its branches stood on their call for an early elective conference. In the Eastern Cape, during a meeting held at the East London City Hall at the end of August, it is understood that most branches called for Zuma to resign following the local government elections.

“We have not made any calls to that effect as a structure [PEC]. The only thing that was done by the national working committee of the youth league was to consult with branches on its call for an early elective conference of the ANC. They came here [Eastern Cape] and took whatever feedback they got from branches back to the NEC,” Lali said.

Lali said they were “100%” confident that their appeal would be successful.

“From time to time, an organisation does need an intervention on its structures but, on our side, we feel that it is not justifiable intervention. So we don’t agree with it, hence we have appealed,” said Lali, adding that it was business as usual for them as they continued working in their ANCYL offices in Calata House in King William’s Town.

They have also briefed the provincial leadership of the ANC and informed them of their decision to challenge the disbandment.

Mlibo Qoboshiyane, the spokesperson for the ANC in the province, confirmed on Friday that they had been informed of the developments.

“I hope that the national officials of the ANCYL are still going to visit the province because they made that decision at the weekend. Normally, after the disbandment, they would visit the province and indicate to the ANC that this is the scenario and that this is the proposed structure that they put in place in the interim,” he said.

Mlondi Mkhize, the ANCYL’s national spokesperson, said they would not share with the public what the reasons for disbanding the Eastern Cape youth league were, but would communicate them with the structures.

Mkhize also dismissed suggestions that the PEC was disbanded because they did not support Zuma.

“No, that is not true, but, equally, what we are not going to do is share with the public what our reasons of disbanding the structure are. It has nothing to do with who supports whom, but has got everything to do with the organisation called the ANCYL.”

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