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ANC lambasts Youth League

THE ANC Youth League leadership put on a brave face during a meeting with the ANC at Luthuli House.

During the meeting - attended by the top 5 leaders of the ANCYL led by Julius Malema, and the ANC top 6 led by President Jacob Zuma - the ANCYL dismissed claims that it was ravaged by divisions.

The parties met yesterday amid reports that the ANCYL is facing an internal revolt which is said to be linked to a leadership tussle to control the league.

During the meeting, the ANC took the league to task about its failure to handle ructions within its ranks.

However, an insider told Sowetan that the ANCYL attributed the internal rebellion to ill-disciplined individuals who resorted to court actions instead of internal processes.

Former chairperson of the ANCYL in Limpopo, Lehlogonolo Masoga, and a disbanded provincial executive committee of the league in Eastern Cape approached the court for protection from the national leadership .

The national leadership is accused of working on a plan to purge Masoga and members of the Eastern Cape executive for opposing candidates aligned to Malema.

The faction opposed to Malema is accused of plotting to topple him and instal his deputy, Andile Lungisa.

A highly placed source said yesterday’s meeting was an attempt by the ANC to appease aggrieved members of the ANCYL who have sought protection from the mother body.

“The ANC cannot do anything to Malema. He was elected by a conference and can only be removed by a conference or by ANCYL members through a vote of no confidence,” a source said.

ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said the league presented documents it planned to table during the national general council of the ANC.

“We also updated the ANC about other matters, including about some members who try to interdict programmes of the ANCYL,” Shivambu said.

ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu refused to comment.

 

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