The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) on Friday issued a statement in reaction to a Mail & Guardian report on Friday that listed ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula among African National Congress members with business interests.
The M&G report followed this week’s revelation that senior ANC members may have bagged the lucrative, foreign-owned stake in Telkom — which could ”uncork a debate on empowerment which is simmering in the ruling party”, according to the report.
The ANCYL statement says: ”The ANC Youth League has taken strong exception to cheap attempts by the Mail & Guardian at creating sensation where none exists
”The insinuations that the president of the ANCYL, Fikile Mbalula, harbours business interests, thus making him a member of the business elite, are at best mischievous and at worst malicious.
”The ANCYL categorically states that its president holds no business interests, and remains firm in his conviction to serve the young people of South Africa diligently without compromising his mandate.
”The Youth League therefore challenges the Mail & Guardian to either disclose such business interests or retract these insinuations unconditionally.”
The statement adds: ”The Youth League has made no secret of its business interests as an organisation, as part of creating sustainable mechanisms to support its activities, which are public knowledge and above board. However, this does not suggest in any way that its president also holds such interests or benefits as an individual from the league’s business interests.”
It concludes: ”It is indeed a sad day in our democracy when the media is allowed to abuse the freedom of expression by casting aspersions on people’s characters without a shred of evidence to that effect.”