The ANC Youth League is not in crisis ahead of its conference next year, its president Julius Malema said on Tuesday.
“The ANCYL is in good shape. There is absolutely no revolt in the league,” said Malema in an interview on SABC 3’s Interface.
“There is just a group of rowdy, ill-disciplined individuals who posed a challenge in some provinces.”
Malema mentioned the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provincial conferences as having disgruntled members who tried to undermine the youth league.
Former ANCYL Limpopo chairperson Lehlogonolo Masoga, who was recently dismissed by the league, was mentioned as an example of an ill-disciplined individual.
“Masoga knows [disciplinary] processes very well but he decided to go outside and shout at the ANC and its youth league.
“Ill-discipline will never be tolerated in the ANCYL.”
He said Masoga was just an “individual who is desperate to hold on to power”.
Malema said the leadership of the ANCYL was “rock solid”.
“If the leadership was weak, people would challenge it from within and remove it. Now they opt for courts of law because the leadership is strong.”
Asked if he would deal with members who did not agree with him, Malema said: “When you are a leader, not everyone will be happy with your leadership style
“It would mean I am a dictator of not if everyone agreed with me”.
On the succession issues in the ANC, Malema would not say if he supported Deputy Minister of Police and former ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula for the position of secretary general.
“We do not support individuals. It would be premature for me to pronounce on my preferred candidates now.
“We will talk about this when the ANC directs so,” said Malema. – Sapa