African National Congress Youth League conference in South Africa featured the President Julius Malema as well as President Jacob Zuma. Malema won re-election easily over the youth wing of the ruling party., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
ANCYL disbandment unlikely, say analysts
Tuesday, 06 September 2011 02:00
It is unlikely the African National Congress will disband its youth league, analysts said yesterday. "I don't see them going that route, it will be dramatic," Adam Habib, of the University of Johannesburg, said.
Weekend reports, quoting an unnamed ANC source, indicated the ANC intended to disband the ANC Youth League and put a committee in its place.
Habib said for the ANC to disband the league, it would probably need to go to a conference, which might divide the organisation.
"It is not a question of dividing the organisation, but of how much."
Habib said the toughest decision one could expect from the ANC disciplinary committee would be to expel ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.
"We don't say disbanding the youth league is not possible, but it will be dramatic for the ANC to reach such a conclusion."
Independent political analyst Joe Mavuso said the ruling party would consider other measures than disbanding the league.
"The ANC needs to be seen as united going into the Mangaung conference next year, and secondly as the ruling party they need to be seen as holding together," he said. The party would elect its new leaders at the conference.
Mavuso said division within the ruling party would be bad for the country.
"The measures need to send a strong message that the youth league must toe the line."
The ANC instituted disciplinary hearings last week after it charged the leaders of its youth wing with various violations of the party's constitution.
Malema and ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu face charges related to comments on helping bring about regime change in Botswana.
Youth league deputy president Ronald Lamola, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi, and treasurer general Pule Mabe have been charged with contravening rule 25.5 (q) and rule 25.5(o) of the Constitution of the ANC. The latter rule relates to "prejudicing the integrity or repute of the organisation, its personnel or its operational capacity".
The former relates to "deliberately disrupting meetings and interfering with the orderly functioning of the organisation".
ANC national disciplinary committee chairperson Derek Hanekom was not immediately available to comment on whether the hearing would be moved from Luthuli House in the Johannesburg CBD. The hearing was scheduled to resume on Sunday September 11.
These developments arise after President Jacob Zuma on Sunday planned to dissolve the ANCYL's executive and replace it with a 25-member "interim leadership core", sources told City Press.
Seven inside sources told the newspaper that Zuma would tell the national working committee that the youth league cannot continue with its top leaders stuck in disciplinary hearings. An interim structure was needed, he would argue.
The decision needs to be finalised by the national executive committee (NEC) which constitutionally has the power to disband any ANC structure.
Two youth leaders, an ANC national executive committee (NEC) member, a provincial leader and three well-placed sources close to Zuma's allies said the ANC leader had been convinced by his confidants that he could no longer "co-exist" with Malema.
The plan included packing the interim structure with youth leaders purged or suspended by Malema from the league.
The ANC Youth League spokesman Floyd Shivambu said last Friday they will not be intimidated and there will be no retreat as disciplinary procedures continued against its president Julius Malema.
"It looks like we are going to be inside Luthuli House for a long time," he said of the ANC's headquarters in Johannesburg, where the hearings are being held.
The hearing was postponed from yesterday to next week so that all the relevant parties can attend, the movement said.
SAPA-City Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment