/ 17 November 2012

ANC disturbed by undisciplined and divisive Youth League

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.
ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.

The Limpopo ANC Youth League's comments about President Jacob Zuma shows that the organisation lacks discipline, the ANC said on Saturday.

"The attitude displayed by the ANCYL in Limpopo is not only divisive but also display[s] [a] lack of discipline and disregard for decisions taken by the ANC," spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

"It is our view that the national leadership of the ANCYL will address this unprecedented conduct."

He said the African National Congress was "disturbed" by the assertions made by the Youth League in Limpopo.

Mthembu said it had adopted the argument and tone of opposition parties in Parliament on a matter which was under investigation by the Auditor-General and the Public Protector.

On Friday the ANCYL in Limpopo said it was "psychologically threatened" by Zuma's comments that he and his family had paid for his Nkandla residence.

"The ANCYL… is psychologically threatened by the responses and emotional outlook by President Zuma in Parliament, when he claimed to have taken out a bond to finance the Nkandla… development," provincial spokesperson Klaas Mabunda said in a statement on Friday.

"We are making a humble plea to all branches of the ANC to wake up and start closely monitoring the utterances of President Zuma, because… we are convinced that his incapability to lead the ANC… will be exposed by the man himself."

Mabunda said the Limpopo Youth League was concerned over how much of the bond Zuma was paying back every month, because his salary was "public knowledge".

In reaction Mthembu said the ANC, including Zuma, supported the investigation of the Nkandla expenditure to the allegations to its finality.

"We therefore do not expect any of our structures to show contempt for the investigative processes. ANC structures must guard against adopting uniformed positions that will embarrass them when they are proven wrong," Mthembu said. – Sapa.