Threats to expose President Jacob Zuma and the continuing public attacks on his leadership are expected to be dealt with at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, a report has said.
According to Timeslive, the ANC said on Monday its top officials - Zuma, his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, treasurer-general Mathews Phosa and deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise, would address the media.
The statement issued by party spokesman Jackson Mthembu did not say what the press briefing would be about, but those close to the leadership reportedly told Timeslive on Monday night that the recent ill-discipline of some ANC Youth League members and statements by ANCYL president Julius Malema were expected to be addressed.
They said the party leadership would show a united front, the report said.
“The centre should hold, especially now, when the ANC is under attack from within,” a party member who spoke on condition of anonymity was quoted as saying.
On Friday, Malema said the ANCYL was being traumatised and suppressed under Zuma's leadership.
“Under President Zuma, we've seen the youth of the ANC being traumatised and expelled from their home,” said a fired-up Malema during a centenary lecture at Wits University.
He said Zuma's leadership had suppressed the voice of the youth and replaced democracy with dictatorship.
“We've seen intolerance. People are impatient with the youth, people do not appreciate new opinions. They suppress new opinions,” he said to thunderous applause from a packed hall .
Malema said opinions by youth league leadership were possibly seen as a threat by the mother body.
“Those are our observations. It cannot be entirely correct. Other people can differ,” he said.
Drawing ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa's attention, Malema said it was nothing personal but that leadership must accept criticism.
“We must be honest and not pretend. We must give a true reflection of what's happening,” he said.
“If you want to be pretenders, then you have chosen the wrong career.”
Before the lecture on Friday, supporters sang and danced and sang struggle songs as they waited.
Some songs were in support of Malema, with some mocking Zuma as “troublesome shower man” and ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe as the “troublesome goatee”.
An ANCYL official close to Malema also told The Sunday Independent on Friday night that the tactics of the young leader’s faction was to “ensure that Zuma’s weaknesses… are exposed” by publicly “telling the nation” about his “secrets”.
The league has continuously voiced their preference for Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to replace Zuma and Mbalula to replace Mantashe. - Sapa, IOL