ANCYL meltdown continues in Mpumalanga
2011-11-29 20:24
Mbombela - The ANC in Mpumalanga has warned the party's young lions not to involve Premier David Mabuza in their crisis.
Half of the ANC Youth League's provincial executive committee (PEC) resigned en masse last week in protest against the suspension of provincial secretary Johan Mkhatshwa, his deputy, Themba Masombuka, and treasurer Lerato Theko for insubordination.
Mkhatshwa told African Eye News Service on Tuesday that one of the reasons he was suspended was for failing to implement a resolution to oust Mabuza, who is the provincial ANC chairperson.
"The ANC Youth League's provincial leadership should be talking about changing the lives of our people and how to implement successful programmes instead of leadership issues.
"The time will come for those issues to be raised during the next ANC PEC meeting in August next year," said provincial ANC spokesperson Paul Mbenyane on Tuesday.
He added that all ANC structures in the province were "fully behind Premier Mabuza".
"We have great confidence in his leadership and we still stand by the ANC PEC decisions taken in 2008, when he was elected provincial chairperson of the ANC," Mbenyane said.
Provincial ANC Youth League chairperson Kgotso Motloung, a known ally of suspended ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, confirmed the ANC Youth League's PEC had "rescinded" a resolution to support Mabuza for a second term as provincial chairperson of the ANC.
"The matter will now be tabled as such at the planned Provincial General Council," said Motloung.
No date or venue has yet been set for the planned ANC Youth League PGC.
Discipline
Motloung also indicated that it was decided on Monday to charge the 12 PEC members for resigning en masse.
"These comrades continuously displayed a high level of ill-discipline unprecedented in the movement.
"They allowed themselves to be used by certain elements within the ANC, thus their conduct was and is a serious infringement and danger to the autonomy of the ANC Youth League," said Motloung.
Acting ANC Youth League provincial secretary, Clarence Maseko, said the 12 PEC members - who include Mkhatshwa, Masombuka and Theko - would also be charged for holding an unconstitutional Regional General Council meeting in Mbombela on Sunday, and for addressing a media conference without mandate.
"Further charges have been added to their respective charge sheets. It is our view that every member of the ANC Youth League should behave in line with the constitution of the organisation," said Maseko.
Mkhatshwa said that as far as he was concerned “the province no longer has a youth league structure”.
He said he was not only suspended for the matter relating to ousting Mabuza, but also for supporting the decision by ANC national disciplinary committee chairperson Derek Hanekom to suspend ANC Youth League leaders.
He said he was also accusedof refusing to participate in Malema's economic freedom march in Gauteng last month, and of not charging other PEC members despite a lack of proof of any ill-discipline.
"I was not even given a chance to defend myself," he said.