Malema rival bows out

THE much-anticipated battle for the presidency of the ANC Youth League seems all but over

It now looks as if the supposed hot rival for the incumbent Julius Malema, Lebogang Maile, has thrown in the towel with just about 10 days to go before the league's national congress in Midrand, Johannesburg.

Maile announced yesterday that he had never announced his intention to stand against Malema .

This comes as the Mpumalanga youth league announced that it would back Malema for a second term.

"Malema has defended the autonomy of the ANCYL and no external people will persuade us otherwise," provincial chairperson Kgotso Motloung said.

Maile spoke at a press briefing of the ANCYL in Johannesburg yesterday and announced that all regions in Gauteng - bar Sedibeng - were behind Malema.

Johannesburg, the West Rand, Ekurhuleni and Greater Tshwane regions nominated Malema.

Maile is the ANCYL's provincial chairperson and MEC for sports, arts and culture in Gauteng.

"After robust engagements, debates and voting, the Gauteng provincial general council resolved to nominate incumbent ANCYL president Julius Malema as a candidate for presidency," Maile said.

"I am not going to discuss my supposed candidacy. I don't know where it came from that I'm standing (for the presidency).

"I am not a populist but a disciplined member of the organisation. If I want to stand I will raise that with the relevant structures," he said.

"I am humbled that there are members who think I can be given bigger responsibility.

"Every member has the right to elect and be elected. I am not leading a faction but am leading the Gauteng youth league."

He responded to media reports that Malema praised former president Thabo Mbeki as "the best leader the ANC has ever produced".

"I don't understand why there is a problem that Mbeki is one of the best. During the 2007 ANC elective conference in Polokwane we did not support him but that does not mean he is the enemy and it can't be disputed that Mbeki was among our best cadres," he said.

Provincial secretary Ayanda Kasa-Ntsobi said: "We are fully behind Malema as prescribed by the processes of our internal structures. When the structures have spoken we simply soldier on."

The province has also announced that it wanted Ronald Lamola to become Malema's deputy, Sindiso Magapa as general secretary, Kenetswe Mosenogi as deputy general secretary and Pule Mabe to remain treasurer general.