Pule waga Mabe African National Congress MP Peter Mokaba and other members of the ANCYouth League’s “old guard” were influential in the surprise re-election of Malusi Gigaba as league president at its national congress at the weekend. And in an interview this week Gigaba echoed former youth league president Mokaba who had told the 1996 congress that the league had to “adapt to change or die” by stressing its need to adapt to change and deliver what is relevant to the current political scenario. However, Gigaba is going to have to give up his parliamentary seat. “The youth league believes in order to advance the revolution its president should be full-time in office,” says the league’s Khulekani Ntshangase. He said the league is removing the president from Parliament to ensure that its “programmes are not sabotaged” and to see to it that other members of the league deployed to positions in national and provincial organisations including law-making bodies are monitored. There had been strong speculation that Gigaba was to be ousted at the congress. Ntshangase dismissed allegations that the league had had enough of Gigaba’s leadership. “Those allegations were fabricated; it is the tradition of congress that leadership should be contested,” he said. In the run-up to the congress, David Makhura of Gauteng emerged as the most popular presidential candidate; a popular contender for deputy president was Mahlengi Bhengu, former chair of the National Youth Commission. Makhura was nominated by more than one province, including Mpuma-langa and the Northern Province which is alleged to have withdrawn from backing Makhura after it was promised the deputy presidency. According to Dumisane Hlophe, a political analyst at the Centre for Policy Studies, those who backed Gigaba were the old guard from the ruling party. Mokaba was allegedly among them. Hlophe applauded the league for removing the president from Parliament but said the league’s leadership lacks charisma and “the youth league needs a charismatic leadership which will appeal to the general youth of this country”.
Gigaba said he is dedicating his three-year term to youth development and mobilisation of the youth countrywide. He lashed out at the ANC in various parts of the country for failing to give the league material support, ultimately contributing to its sorry state of membership. “We have tabled a proposal to the Ministry of Provincial and Local Government to establish youth desks in various municipalities.” He said that while the league acknowledges the role municipalities play in community development, it was important to have a unit that will focus mainly on youth issues.
Gigaba said the league is also involved in skills development projects to help the youth create employment for themselves. The league also intends to start organising the youth around social issues like HIV/Aids and crime awareness through road shows and door-to-door campaigns.