ANC Youth League Collen Maine.
The ANC Youth League says it is very disappointed with the recent public criticism of its organisation by some senior ANC officials.
The league addressed the media on Tuesday at Luthuli House following their extended NEC meeting this past weekend at the St Georges Hotel in Pretoria.
Youth League leader Collen Maine said: “We must firstly indicate that we are very disappointed because we expect better from them [Joel Netshitenzhe and Gwede Mantashe] as leaders of the African National Congress but we will refrain from doing what they are doing and we will demonstrate leadership to them and engage with their views internally.
“We must also engage what informs these sudden attacks on the youth league but we will engage them internally. The ANC Youth League is united and there are no divisions.”
Both Netshitenzhe and Mantashe have recently criticised the ANCYL publically.
Netshitenzhe recently lamented the current state of the ANCYL while secretary general Mantashe, speaking to delegates at the National Union of Mineworkers central executive committee, last week said the league has been reduced to henchmen.
In the media briefing, the league also pronounced Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as their preferred presidential candidate, with Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza as her deputy.
The youth league also proposed the introduction of a second deputy general secretary with Fikile Mbalula as their preferred candidate for the position.