ANC Youth League president Julius Malema’s allies in the provinces appear to lack the clout to bolster his political position, which he now needs more than ever.
Last weekend’s poor attendance at a seminar on the nationalisation of mines that Malema was supposed to host in Rustenburg raised questions about the real power ANC provincial secretary Kabelo Mataboge, who convened the event, holds within his provincial executive committee. By association, it also put the spotlight on Malema’s support in North West.
The ANC’s provincial secretaries serve as the organisation’s chiefs of staff in their provinces. Mataboge’s close ties with the youth league were meant to be a powerful drawcard, but fewer than 100 people attended.
The seminar’s failure could also suggest that the political rift between ANC president Jacob Zuma and the youth league is causing divisions down the line. Zuma is no longer the league’s choice for ANC president come the 2012 elective conference.
Malema apparently turned back on his way to Rustenburg when he was told the event had attracted so few people. Some provincial executive committee members at the venue said even the estimate of 100 people was too high and put the total at less than 50.
Mataboge and North West provincial chair Supra Mahumapelo are said to differ in the 2012 succession debate, which has been temporarily silenced by Luthuli House. The two come from camps that opposed each other before the February provincial congress, but horse trading necessitated by a lack of decisive majority on either side brought the groups together.
The camps’ marriage of convenience failed to have even a honeymoon period and their differences have been playing out in public.
Divisions within provincial leadership
The youth league’s support for nationalisation and its perceived disrespect for the Zuma-led leadership have added to divisions within the provincial leadership, Mail & Guardian sources say.
No provincial executive committee member wanted to speak on the record, but the M&G has learned that those who were elected to the committee from Mataboge’s original camp sympathised with the youth league, whereas those from Mahumapelo’s original camp wanted to see the leadership rapped on the knuckles for its radical views.
The M&G understands that Mataboge did not get the committee’s blessing for the seminar’s topic or for Malema as its guest and that this, too, had caused unhappiness among party members.
The day before seminar took place the youth league’s head office had issued an invitation to the media, billing the seminar as “part of the many political programmes to consolidate the perspective on the nationalisation of mines”, a resolution that was taken at its national congress in June.
The notice of cancellation of Malema’s appearance, less than 24 hours later, said he would not address the event because of “other commitments”.
“When people heard what the topic was going to be and who was coming they decided to stay away,” said a committee member, who boycotted the event. He said the provincial secretary “announced” to a committee meeting that there was a seminar the following day.
“There was no ululation, no objection, there was just a mute reaction,” said a committee member who is seen to be a Mahumapelo ally.
But those who sympathise with Mataboge referred to “concerted efforts” in the province to discredit the provincial secretary and his links to the Malema-led youth league. Saturday’s no-show was “the first time this behaviour has showed itself in this way”, said one such committee member.
Mataboge told the M&G this week that the committee had prepared for the event in good time and that the cancellation resulted from “improper planning” by the Bojanala region.
“But we are working on repairing the damage and reconvening the meeting,” he said.
Asked why more than half of the committee members were absent, Mataboge said everyone who did not attend had rendered apologies. He refused to say how many of them had shown up.
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