Johannesburg - Clad in track pants and basketball sneakers, ANC Youth League task team member and Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula told thousands gathered in Kliptown in Soweto that ruling party’s youth wing was being revived and would return stronger into the political foray.
“We will awaken the ANCYL, the ANCYL will return stronger. Everything that is happening today was supposed to happen,” he told a cheering audience that included President Jacob Zuma and Cabinet ministers, gathered here to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Charter.
The ANCYL congress, which was scheduled to take place in Johannesburg this month, was postponed following chaotic provincial conferences marred by factionalism. The last conference, in KwaZulu-Natal in June, descended into violence and police were forced to use rubber bullets to disperse angry delegates.
Earlier this month, the North Gauteng High Court ruled that the Limpopo elective conference, which was held in Tzaneen in May, was null and void. Some members of the Limpopo ANCYL took the matter court.
The court ruled that the conference be held afresh.
Mbalula ventured on Friday that the ANC and the tripartite alliance was under attack.
“It is not only an attack against President Zuma, it is an attack against our movement…we must reclaim our place, comrades, and never step back,” he said.
He defended Zuma against criticism over the report of the Farlam commission of inquiry into the shooting of 34 miners at Marikana in 2012, saying the president had not been in charge of the inquiry.
“Instead of congratulating Zuma for establishing the commission, they say… ‘but people were supposed to be arrested’ …it is not Zuma who made the findings, but Farlam,” he said to a loud applause.
Struggle veterans Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Ahmed Kathrada were also present at the celebrations in Kliptown’s Walter Sisulu Square.
ANA