Personal ambitions and thirst for power threaten the unity of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) as the battle for leadership positions intensifies.
With only two weeks left before its elective conference, the youth organisation — which presented a united front in its support for Jacob Zuma to become the ANC president — is now split into two factions.
One group is led by ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula and the other by the organisation’s secretary general Sihle Zikalala.
Mbalula wants the outgoing ANCYL provincial secretary Julius Malema to succeed him, but Zikalala prefers the league’s national organiser, Saki Mofokeng, to take over as president.
The Mbalula faction believes that under Malema’s militant leadership the league would continue to rally support behind Zuma. The Zikalala group, on the other hand, believes Mofokeng (although also a Zuma supporter) is more experienced and articulate than Malema.
Malema is supported by the provincial branches of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape. Provinces that support Mofokeng include Gauteng, North West and KwaZulu-Natal. The Western Cape supports league veteran Songezo Mjongile.
The top five leaders punted by the Mbalula group call for Malema as president; Eastern Cape’s Nelson Mandela region chairperson Andile Lungisa as deputy president; ANCYL deputy secretary Vuyiswa Tulelwa for secretary general; Thandi Mahambaihlala as deputy secretary; and ANCYL chairperson in the Northern Cape Alvin Botes as treasurer general.
The Zikalala group has Mofokeng as president, Gauteng provincial secretary Lebogang Maile as deputy president, ANCYL national executive committee member Doctor Tshwale as secretary general, Gugu Simelane for the position of deputy secretary general and Gugu Mashiteng as treasurer general.
The Mbalula faction is made up of people who want to see Zuma take over as the next president of the country. The Zikalala group includes interests ranging from those who supported President Thabo Mbeki’s bid for a third term as ANC leader to business people.
ANCYL insiders say Zikalala’s opposition to Malema as the league’s next president has nothing to do with his loyalty to Zuma, but more to do with his alienation from the current ANCYL leadership.
”There is a silent cold war between Zikalala and Mbalula. He [Zikalala] is supporting a different candidate to Mbalula because he is of the view that he was alienated as secretary general. He was never in the inner core of the Mbalulas. He was the secretary general under siege,” said one ANCYL leader.
Under normal circumstances, the Mbeki supporters in the ANCYL would have preferred their own candidate, but now they believe they are better off with Mofokeng than with Malema. They say Mofokeng’s independent approach to politics would accommodate their interests.
It is understood that those who opposed Zuma as ANC president are pushing for Maile as deputy president so that he can take over from Mofokeng in 2011.
Those who want Maile to take over believe he will play a major role in ensuring that the youth league supports a different candidate other than Zuma to become ANC president in 2012.
The youth league congress takes place on April 2 to 6 in Mangaung, Free State.
Mbalula this week denied that he preferred certain leaders over others. ”I am aware of the rumour which says I am pushing for certain people and Sihle [Zikalala] is also pushing for his people. It is not true. People are using this as a strategy to stop the Malema tsunami,” said Mbalula.
Zikalala was unavailable for comment.