The audited membership of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) stands at 366 435 and not 600 000 as spokesperson Floyd Shivambu claimed earlier this year, the City Press reported on Sunday.
“We have clarified in congress that to say that the audited members for the 24th national congress’s purposes was 366 000 but the overall number of members is more than 600 000,” Shivambu told the newspaper.
“The audit focuses on branches that go to their branch general meetings with a quorum and membership applications are different. Branches that went to congress are those that have a minimum of 100 members and went to branch general meetings with a quorum of 50% plus one of their total membership within the dates we had given,” he said.
“Other branches that did not have members up to 100 or did not reach quorum were not in congress because they did not pass the audit. This does not mean that their members are not members.”
In March, just before ANCYL President Julius Malema’s birthday, Shivambu said the message from more than 600 000 members was that Malema “should grow stronger”, according to the report.
At its national congress in June, membership stood at 366 435.
KwaZulu-Natal, the league’s biggest province, had 72 427 members and 685 branches. The KwaZulu-Natal league made up 20% of the national membership, City Press reported.
On Saturday, the provincial youth wing’s executive said the national leadership wanted to disband the KwaZulu-Natal executive because it was backing President Jacob Zuma for a second term.
ANCYL general secretary Sindiso Magaqa said he was not aware of any disbandment.
Plans to disband executive
Malema and his allies want to disband the league’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee (PEC), which is packed with Zuma supporters. The league’s top six executives, including Malema, descended on Durban on Sunday to wield the axe.
Some league provincial leaders, however, were ready to take the fight to Malema.
“If we are disbanded, we will form a parallel structure. There will be no rules. It will be a street fight. People in the league are sick and tired of Julius,” said three league leaders who spoke to City Press this week.
In another show of support for Zuma, on Monday last week, premier and ANC provincial chairperson Zweli Mkhize lashed out at Malema. “We begin to see people who see themselves as untouchables. If you don’t want to be within the ANC rules, you are free to leave.”
City Press reported that Shivambu was spearheading the campaign to have the PEC disbanded.
Shivambu reportedly proposed to the extended national working committee (NWC) last Sunday that the PEC be disbanded. The matter will be finalised at the NEC meeting next month.
Shivambu said, “We don’t dignify rumours and leaks through giving comments. So I will never respond to cowards and liars who secretly speak to journalists, lie to them and sensationalise organisational process, yet keep quiet in meetings.”
League provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo, a Malema ally, confirmed the meeting but said he was not aware of a plan to disband the committee. “If the PEC is disbanded, for whatever reasons, I will have no problem with that.” — Sapa