Behind the brave face put on by the ANC Youth League in the wake of disciplinary charges against its top leadership, there is deep concern over where the events of the past few days will lead and whether the newly elected leadership will survive.
While its planned response to the charges was being canvassed through the provincial, regional and branch structures of the league, action would be carefully thought through, said youth league members, an ANC insider and analysts.
ANCYL president Julius Malema and spokesman Floyd Shivambu were charged on Friday with bringing the ANC into disrepute and sowing division in the party over statements advocating regime change in Botswana. They will face the ANC’s disciplinary committee in separate hearings on August 30 and 31.
Malema also faces investigations by the Public Protector and the Hawks into allegations of fraud and corruption relating to his business dealings.
ANCYL national executive committee (NEC) member Magdalene Moonsamy said the league was “fully and wholly” behind its leaders. The league had called on the ANC to meet the youth leaders before next week’s hearings, but had not yet received a response, she said.
“Engagement with the ANC is extremely critical…”
The ANCYL needed clarity from the ANC leaders on the “motive” behind the charges and to satisfy themselves that they had exhausted all possible avenues of engagement.
The league believed the charges lodged against its leaders could be dealt with through “political engagement” rather than disciplinary action, she said.
“What we want prior to the hearing is for them to explain to us the issues, we want political engagement to resolve the many questions and doubts. That’s not a sin – we need clarity on what the motive is.
“We are looking deeper into it (charges), it’s not just short-term issues. We would have hoped for engagement… ” Many options remained as a recourse if the ANC failed to respond. The league would weigh up its options, Moonsamy said, refusing to go into detail.
However, ANCYL NEC members and others, speaking on condition of anonymity, have admitted that the tough line taken by the ANC’s top-six leadership has shaken them.
But they remained “staunchly” in support of their leaders, with two provincial leaders saying the detailed plan to defy the ANC leadership regarding the charges, as plotted by the ANCYL’s NEC on Sunday, was being filtered down from provinces to regions and branches. ANCYL members were being rallied, and many regions and branches had pledged solidarity.
Speculation has been rife that four more ANCYL leaders – deputy president Ronald Lamola, secretary general Sindiso Magaqa, his deputy Kenetswe Mosenogi and treasurer Pule Mabe – would be charged on Monday, but by early that evening the ANC’s NEC was still locked behind closed doors in the final day of its special four-day meeting.
Malema and Magaqa were said to have been in attendance. There was no word from the ANC on further charges or on the outcome of the NEC meeting.
An ANCYL NEC member said the league had decided it would be in its best interests that “everybody subjects themselves to discipline”.
Marches and pronouncements would be “suicidal” at this point, but were not entirely off the table.
An ANCYL NEC member said the ANC’s attitude and outcome of the disciplinary hearings would determine the way forward. - Political Bureau