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Is Gauteng ANCYL kingmaker?

The outcome of the upcoming Gauteng ANC Youth League congress will have an important bearing on who between Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkozasana Dlamini-Zuma gets the nod to replace President Jacob Zuma as ANC leader at the party's national elective conference in December.

The Gauteng league is gearing up for its long-awaited elective congress next month. Dlamini-Zuma supporter, incumbent Matome Chiloane, is seeking a second term as provincial chairman. A win for Chiloane would be a blow for Ramaphosa's support in Gauteng. The ANC in the province is said to favour Ramaphosa taking over as ANC president.

Chiloane will be challenged by Sello Sekhokho, who was arrested for allegedly throwing rocks at DA marchers in the Johannesburg CBD in 2014.

Sekhokho's profile picture on Facebook is that of former president Kgalema Motlanthe, who has said he was not keen to contest for the ANC leadership position. The ANCYL in Gauteng under Chiloane has been at loggerheads with its mother body on a number of issues.

Chiloane's supporters are pushing for the youth league's spokeswoman Mbali Hlophe to become provincial secretary.

Hlophe said yesterday that the congress was expected to be characterised by robust engagement on the current state of the organisation.

"And importantly to guide our inputs towards the upcoming ANC policy conference," Hlophe said.

Another name bandied about for the secretary's position includes ANCYL provincial executive committee (PEC) member Tebogo Letsie from the West Rand.

Another ANCYL PEC member Nkosazana Mtolo's name is being thrown around for the position of treasurer.

There are murmurings that former president of the Congress of SA Students Collen Malatji could enter the ANCYL leadership as a surprise candidate. ANCYL provincial secretary Bones Modise said the league was preparing for regional congresses which would be followed by a provincial congress.

"We are still finalising logistics. We will have a media briefing this week," Modise said.

ANCYL Ekurhuleni regional secretary Andile Mngwevu said the region would make a determination on who it supports to be the youth league's provincial chairman after its congress.

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