New ANCYL president Collen Maine.
Collen Maine has been elected uncontested as the new ANC Youth League president during the league’s national conference in Midrand on Friday night – two years after Julius Malema was expelled from the ANC.
Maine, who is an MEC for local government and human settlements in the North West is said to enjoy the support of senior ANC leaders popularly known as the “Premier League”. They include North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza and Free State Premier Ace Magashule.
Other top five leaders elected uncontested alongside Maine are Desmond Moela (deputy president), Njabulo Nzuza (Secretary general), Thandi Moraka (deputy Secretary General) and Reggie Nkaninde (treasurer general). Like the ANC Women’s League, which also enjoyed the Premier League’s support, the new youth league leadership is expected to push for a woman candidate to be elected as ANC president when the party holds its election in 2017.
The names of the women candidates for the ANC president position includes African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete.
ANC Gauteng chairperson Paul Mashatile has publicly declared his support for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as president Jacob Zuma’s successor.