The ANC committee set up this week to defuse tension in the ANC Youth League excludes ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, whom the league has accused of bias.
Heading the high-powered committee is Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, and it includes Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, ANC deputy secretary general Thandi Modise, national executive committee member and Deputy Communications Minister Dina Pule and Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile.
Among other things, the national working committee (NWC) mandated the committee to instruct the former ANCYL chairperson in Limpopo, Lehlogonolo Masoga, and the disbanded Eastern Cape provincial executive committee to withdraw court cases against ANCYL president Julius Malema’s NEC.
Masoga is challenging his dismissal in the South Gauteng High Court, while the disbanded Eastern Cape provincial executive committee (PEC) successfully interdicted the provincial conference for the second time last week. The NWC decision to establish a trouble-shooting committee came after Mantashe’s efforts to defuse tension failed to bear fruit. The ANCYL has accused Mantashe of bias in dealing with the matter, after he publicly questioned the league’s decision to fire Masoga.
“The NWC excluded Gwede because it realised he was conflicted. He has been dealing with the matter for the past three weeks, but nothing positive came out of that,” said an ANC leader. “Ordinarily, the secretary general should take centre stage on organisational matters.”
Mantashe denied that his colleagues had raised suspicions that he had taken sides in the youth league’s battles. “There has been no such view expressed,” Mantashe told the Mail & Guardian. He emphasised the committee was chosen by the NWC.
The M&G has established that the committee will give all ANCYL members challenging the league in court a deadline of next Monday to withdraw legal action or face expulsion from the ANC.
The Masoga faction was due to meet the ANC’s senior leadership at Luthuli House on Thursday. The former PEC has been calling for the reconvening of the controversial Limpopo provincial congress that elected Malema’s faction.
Members of the disgruntled North West faction failed to stop last weekend’s provincial congress, as the court ruled that the application was not urgent.
ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni told the M&G that the youth league’s problems would be dealt with sympathetically to restore faith and discipline. “It does worry us [that some have lost faith in the ANC internal processes]. That is why we say it is not good enough to just say to them they must withdraw the case.”