ANCYL slams Makhura reshuffle

624 Re-elected Gauteng Chairperson Paul Mashatile during ANC's 12th provincial conference held at St George's Hotel in Pretoria. 051014. Picture: Bongiwe Mchunu

624 Re-elected Gauteng Chairperson Paul Mashatile during ANC's 12th provincial conference held at St George's Hotel in Pretoria. 051014. Picture: Bongiwe Mchunu

Published Feb 5, 2016

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Johannesburg - The ANC Youth League in Gauteng has broken ranks with the provincial government over Premier David Makhura’s latest reshuffle of his cabinet that saw the return of Paul Mashatile.

The Gauteng ANCYL described Mashatile’s return as “unspectacular” and a “recycling of old faces and friends”.

The league’s provincial chairman Matome Chiloane described Mashatile’s appointment as “nothing strategic” but a move aimed at “pleasing the ruling cartel”. He said this was a missed opportunity to give space to young people.

“He (Mashatile) has been an MEC since 1994, you bring him back in 2016 and you expect us to applaud,” he said on Thursday.

“This is a missed opportunity. People can go clap hands for this like psychopaths but we are not.”

Chiloane said in line with the league’s national congress resolution on 40 percent youth representation within all ANC leadership and governance structures, they expected the government to be at the forefront of embracing this call.

Makhura on Tuesday appointed Mashatile as MEC of Human Settlements and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

The move was seen by some as strategic for the ANC in its attempts to win black middle-class votes ahead of local government elections, but the ANCYL in Gauteng is not buying into this, saying it was left with no choice but to push for a generational takeover.

Chiloane made it clear they would have preferred a younger person like Trade and Industry Deputy Minister and Ekurhuleni ANC chairman Mzwandile Masina.

He said the national government had proved the inclusion of young leaders bears fruit citing Masina, Mduduzi Manana (Basic Education Deputy Minister), Buti Manamela (Deputy Minister in the Presidency) Fikile Mbalula (Sports Minister) and Malusi Gigaba (Home Affairs Minister).

“We are emerging in the structures of the ANC, but organisationally we are nowhere to be found,” he said.

Makhura appointed Nandi Mayathula-Khoza as the MEC for Social Development and Jacob Mamabolo was moved to the Department of Infrastructure Development.

Chiloane said the league had been sidelined in the province for years.

Gauteng ANC spokesman Nkenke Kekana could not be reached for comment.

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