The African National Congress Youth League challenged its mother body on Sunday to “lift the lid” on the leadership succession debate, ahead of the ANC’s conference in Mangaung next year.
With Julius Malema re-elected as youth league president, the league is expected to push hard for leadership and policy changes within the ANC.
The league has not formally announced its preferred candidates, but it is an open secret that it wanted ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe replaced with former league president and Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula.
Delegates at Gallagher Estate in Midrand welcomed ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe with songs that expressed their support for him and Mbalula to lead the ANC from 2012. Two songs: Ga le so bone mathata, Kgalema o teng (You have not seen anything, Kgalema is here] and 2012 ko Bloemfontein si-votela uMbalula [2012 in Bloemfontein, we’re voting Mbalula] made their feelings clear.
Malema said on Thursday during his political report that the league was behind President Jacob Zuma “for as long as you are still a leader of the ANC”. It was however unlikely however that the league would lend Zuma its support for a second term as ANC president. Motlanthe’s name has been mentioned as a possible successor and lobbying began as early as last year.
Ever since Zuma took over as president of the country in 2009, the youth league has been critical of his leadership style and his administration’s policy direction.
Dikgang Stock, a Northern Cape youth league member who reported back to the congress plenary on Sunday morning on behalf of the organisational renewal commission, told delegates the ANC should open the succession debate.
“Lobbying for the ANC must not be a closely-guarded secret. It must be open for debate in public,” said Stock.
He emphasised the need for a generational mix in the ANC’s top leadership and called on the youth league to ensure that the party elected brave leaders. “Leadership must resolve to support young leaders who are fearless and who will not support monopoly capital.”
The commission on organisational renewal also resolved to resuscitate Masupatsela — the Young Pioneers — which in the past was used as a preparatory structure for the youth league.
Young women in the league were encouraged to enroll and “swell the ranks” of the ANC Women’s League, which has come under attack from the youth league for being ineffective.
The media was asked to leave from the conference plenary session just before the commission on economic transformation presented its report. The commission discussed the nationalisation of mines and key sectors of the economy as well as land expropriation without compensation.
Motlanthe is expected to deliver a closing address to the conference followed by Malema’s closing report.
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