The Regional Executive Committee (REC) of the African National Congress Youth League in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape has been disbanded, the league said on Saturday.
“The REC was convening bogus branches and deliberately corrupting the organisationally prescribed processes of convening meetings of the [youth league],” ANC Youth League Eastern Cape spokesperson Nkosinathi Nomatiti said in a statement.
“This flouting of organisational processes and procedures constitutes the buying of membership by certain members of the REC on behalf of ordinary members as well as convening of illegal meetings.”
The decision to disband the REC was taken during a youth league Eastern Cape PEC meeting in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Nomatiti said the REC meetings were held in response to the upcoming regional congress of the youth league in the region.
Illegal meetings
The illegal meetings attempted to set up a predetermined delegation from different branches that would secure the positions of the current REC at the congress.
“This kind of conduct amounts to extreme levels of counter-revolution as it directly relates to usurping constitutionally enshrined rights of the members of the youth league and undermines the conviction that our branches are the most basic and critical units of our organisational work,” Nomatiti said.
“Our organisation cannot be ripped apart at this critical level under the political stewardship of this current PEC.”
Nomatiti said a number of members were suspended pending the outcome of their disciplinary hearings.
The PEC appointed an interim structure in the Nelson Mandela region in order to ensure that “a process of rehabilitating structures begins immediately”.
‘Caused chaos’
“This interim structure is thus tasked to ensure that the dignity of our beloved organisation is restored and that its character as an embodiment of the aspirations of all young people of the metro is restored,” Nomatiti said.
On Friday, three PEC members in Mpumalanga were suspended and provincial secretary Johan Mkhatshwa was asked to vacate his position.
Provincial chairperson Kgotso Motloung said the three were suspended for ill-discipline after they “caused chaos” at an Mpumalanga provincial general council.
They had also taken delegates from the youth league’s national conference earlier this year to stay in a hotel which was not organised by the national executive committee.
Lack of confidence
Motloung said one of the three had also released a statement to the media saying he “hated” league president Julius Malema.
Motloung said Mkhatshwa was fired because of a lack of confidence in his office.
“Comrade Johan as a paid, full-time functionary of the organisation, failed dismally to exercise duties bestowed upon him by the constitution,” he said. — Sapa