Cape Town - The ANC Youth League’s national youth task team (NYTT) went cap in hand to the mother body, asking for R21m to host the youth league’s conference, but youth leaders and members are sceptical their conference will take place.
Well-placed sources told the Cape Argus that the NYTT last month asked for the millions to hold its first conference since 2015.
The youth league was disbanded in 2018 and in April last year, 35 young people were tasked with reviving the structure after a previous task team failed the mandate.
The NYTT this week pronounced its nominations for the 55th national conference, backing Zweli Mkhize for president, treasurer-general Paul Mashatile as deputy, incumbent Limpopo chairperson Stan Mathabatha as national chairperson, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula as secretary-general and NEC member Nomvula Mokonyane as deputy secretary-general.
ANCYL NYTT spokesperson Sizophila Mkhize didn’t respond to questions about whether the ANC had accepted or denied the R21m request, and whether the ANCYL conference would still sit before the ANC congress.
Similar questions were put to ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe, who appears to have read WhatsApp messages but didn’t respond.
NYTT convener Nonceba Mhauli, who doubles as Presidency Minister Mondli Gungubele’s spokesperson, recently told this publication that the conference was going to go ahead as their branches had met the threshold, and they would ultimately host their conference before the ANC’s.
Ex-officio and members of the youth league in good standing in two provinces told this publication that they had their doubts about whether the conference would sit as the party’s focus was on the mother body’s Nasrec conference.
“There is no ANCYL that’s going to sit this year. The ANC is not in a financial position to do that.
The ANC can’t even pay the workers’ salaries. For all we know, we may even be disbanded again after the party’s conference, the NYTT has people who serve interests,” one regional leader said.
The leader said the question of taking the youth league to conference, or the amount requested from the ANC, did not feature in a recent NYTT meeting held last weekend.
At least two ANCYL members echoed the statements. The Western Cape ANCYL recently suspended its interim provincial co-ordination for “insubordination” and using a proxy to officiate branch meetings.