Mhlaba Memela

Mhlaba Memela

Squabbling over whether a woman should be at the helm of the IFP Youth Brigade in KwaZulu-Natal is dividing the organisation.

Concerned members say some male colleagues are unhappy because they do not want a woman to lead the youth movement.

In an effort to be more gender sensitive and do away with being a male dominated party, some members of the IFP Youth Brigade are pushing for a woman to be elected chairman in next week's election.

Those pushing for a woman leader said the move was in line with Women's Month.

It was also in agreement with a recent decision by the national executive committee of the IFP to support party chairman Zanele Magwaza-Msibi as their candidate for KwaZulu-Natal premier if the party wins the province back from the ANC.

One of the candidates for the post is Zandile Myeni, 26, a Bachelor of Education and economic management science student at the University of Zululand.

She is being tipped to take over from provincial acting chairman Siyabonga Mazibuko.

The chairman's position is contested by Myeni, S'khumbuzo Khanyezi and S'thembiso Mthembu, secretary of the outgoing committee.

Myeni is considered "a pillar of strength" in the IFP-aligned South African Democratic Student Movement at the university.

She is responsible for winning the student representative council position back from the ANC-aligned South African Student Congress at the university.

Myeni said she was positive that she will win in next week's elections.