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ANC Youth League conference postponed (again)

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Collen Maine
Collen Maine

Failure by the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) branches throughout the country to finalise the sitting of branch general meetings (BGMs) has led to the postponement of the much-anticipated league’s national elective conference.

This is despite the ANC appointing a task team, which included party secretary-general Ace Magashule, head of the ANC presidency Zizi Kodwa and party spokesperson Pule Mabe, to try to help the league meet its mandate and hold its overdue conference this month.

City Press has learnt that the conference, which was to be held from December 16 to 20, was postponed for the umpteenth time because the branches failed to reach the 70% threshold of BGMs sitting by the end of August.

The youth league’s guidelines for the conference indicate that a BGM must elect a minimum of four delegates of preference consistent with the 50% gender parity rule.

A branch would be allocated one delegate per 100 members and one additional delegate for every 300 members thereafter.

The latest development comes amid fears that the youth league, which is a shadow of its former self, will not be able to mobilise the youth to vote for the ANC in next year’s general elections.

Youth league president Collen Maine confirmed this week that the conference had been postponed.

“It is not going to happen. We have not reached the 70% threshold of branches that have held BGMs.

“There was a deadline for branches. But even after extensions we could not meet the threshold,” Maine told City Press.

As a result, Maine said, the youth league national leadership took a decision to postpone the conference.

“We can’t have a conference without branches. We are going into Christmas. People can’t hold BMGs at Christmas. Next year all of us in the ANC are focusing on the elections.”

He said the conference was likely to take place after the elections.

However, some youth league national executive committee (NEC) members described the postponement of the conference as a deliberate attempt by youth league leaders to cling on to power.

“They are not going to hand over power easily. They want to be in power after elections so that they will be able to negotiate to become ministers,” an NEC member said.

There are even calls for the youth league to be disbanded and a national task team to be put in place. The term of office of the current youth league leaders expired in September.

One of the frontrunners in the league’s leadership race, ANCYL KwaZulu-Natal secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo, claimed he was unaware the conference had been postponed.

“We have been preparing. There is no communication that has been given to us.”

Sabelo rubbished claims that he had withdrawn from the leadership race to succeed Maine as president.

“I have been nominated and I am available. I don’t know where this is coming from. It is not true.”

He said discussions to try to reach a consensus were continuing. “We are talking to everyone. We would like to see a united conference of the youth league.”

Youth league Limpopo secretary Che Selane said the current ANCYL leaders did not have the capacity to convene a credible conference.

“They are divided. If they were united, they would have done this thing. They want to put their preferred their candidates.”

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