Zuma said when the ANC was faced with challenges, “our action tells us whether we are ANC complete, or quarter or half”. He urged delegates to “redeem” the ANC and rebuild it from the ground. Zuma earlier in the speech admitted that the ANC was in trouble and that members of the party’s national executive committee were very concerned about this. He said they discussed it at their recent meeting last weekend. “The youth league has been shaken but also the mother body has been shaken,” he said. “We admit that the organisation is in trouble.” He said if “everything goes wrong with the ANC, everything will go wrong in this country”. Zuma said the youth league’s conference, the first after the disbandment of its leadership last year following the expulsion of Julius Malema, was an important one. There were deafening cheers from delegates as Zuma arrived, and it continued for about 10 minutes or more. Not all the ANC’s leaders were that lucky, however. The delegates also reserved cheers for former league leader, Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula, but there were jeers for ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, who is seen as the mastermind behind the postponement of the elective conference. Mantashe is considered to be opposing the election of convicted fraudster and national executive committee member Pule Mabe, who, judging by the amount of cheers, had the support of most of the delegates to become league leader. Delegates, especially those from Gauteng, kept shouting his name as people were speaking. Congress of South African Students president Collen Malatji also had harsh words for the ANC for postponing the elective conference, saying the league should have more autonomy.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 05:12:43 +0000
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