Phosa explains his absence at ANCYL rally

ANC treasurer Matthews Phosa says his absence at the ANC Youth League rally in Bushbuckridge on Sunday, where he was billed to speak, was innocent.

"Do not read anything into it, it was totally innocent. I was double booked. The ANC deployed me to the Western Cape and I informed the ANCYL that I had been deployed," said Phosa.

Phosa, who recently told the ANC centenary celebrations in Limpopo that national government had stolen premier Cassel Mathale's powers, yesterday said he would make time to speak to the community of Bushbuckridge. "I will make time to go and speak to [the] people of Bushbuckridge, I told the ANC Youth League about my deployment and they understood . but by then they had already put up posters," Phosa said.

During his address in Limpopo, Phosa also touched on ANCYL president Julius Malema's disciplinary case. He reportedly said the ANC "has no dustbin for its own comrades" and that if there had been any mistake (on the part of Malema) the party would employ another mechanism to address the problem.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe then slated Phosa for sending out different messages on the position taken by the ANC regarding placing some departments in Limpopo under administration and the Malema disciplinary hearing. He said ANC officials had agreed on the need to uphold the responsibility of investing in the unity of the organisation.

"We further agreed that this will be achieved with the leadership of the ANC not sending out different messages to the public."