Young communists: Zuma must leave ANC intact‚ Ramaphosa must lead

The Young Communist League (YCL) has intensified its call for deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to succeed president Jacob Zuma as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) when his term of office comes to an end in 2017.

Speaking at the party’s third national council at University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus on Friday‚ YCL secretary Mluleki Dlelanga noted the divisions in the ruling party‚ and said the league preferred Ramaphosa over African Union Commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

He said its choice was a “matter of principle”‚ and that what was needed was “leadership that will unite the ANC and our alliances”.

“We are saying that in the ANC‚ there are currently two dominant factions; it’s either we support Cyril [Ramaphosa] or Nkosazana [Dlamini-Zuma]‚” said Dlelanga.

“Those are the two dominating factions. We don’t support this issue that Jacob Zuma must leave the office. We are saying he must unite the ANC towards the congress and he must not divide the ANC. He must leave the ANC as intact as he took it‚” said Dlelanga to a round of applause.

“Therefore‚ nobody must be confused and no young communist must be confused on this matter … we are forced and bound to support Cyril‚” added Dlelanga.

The YCL also congratulated the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) for also announcing last month that they would endorse Ramaphosa to succeed Zuma.

Although the succession debate has been strongly criticised by some ANC‚ many within the movement have been quick to nominate their preferred candidates.

Cosatu leader S’dumo Dlamini‚ Ramaphosa and ANC stalwart and former YCL activist Ahmed Kathrada are expected to deliver key note addresses later today.