Chaos reigned for hours at the ANC’s national general council (NGC) meeting in Durban yesterday as ANC Youth League delegates refused loudly to let go of their demand to discuss the nationalisation of mines.
It is still unclear whether “a general agreement on nationalisation” meant a victory for the league or was merely a sop to contain them.
Almost all 62 registered ANC Youth League delegates arrived yesterday morning at the white tent where the NGC’s economic transformation commission was to meet behind closed doors.
Inside, frequently asked to sit down, Youth League delegates mocked the ANC leadership, shouting: “Sit down and nationalise.”
The league has been pushing for nationalisation since last year, while President Jacob Zuma and other top ANC leaders have been going all out to reassure investors that nationalisation is not ANC policy. Their demand has also been interpreted as a proxy for getting rid of Zuma.
They booed top ANC officials when they argued that more research was needed to ascertain whether nationalisation would create jobs. Another veteran asked what would happen to the benefits of workers when mines are nationalised, and they howled at him too.
SA Communist Party deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin told Malema he was causing “anarchy” and should lead by example.
Cronin could not be reached for comment.
The meeting ended with some concessions to both the left and right.
However, informed sources indicated that a balanced intervention in the economy was still being formulated for presentation to the plenary today.
Delegates expressed anger last night about the Youth League’s disruptive behaviour while such significant decisions were being discussed.
A senior ANC member said there was unhappiness with all the Youth League leaders arriving for the one commission.
He said: “We will deal with them in the plenary (today).”