Young Communists urge Zuma to disown 'premier league'

The YCLSA's national secretary Mluleki Dlelanga. File picture: Bhekikhaya Mabaso

The YCLSA's national secretary Mluleki Dlelanga. File picture: Bhekikhaya Mabaso

Published Jun 15, 2016

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Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma has come under fire from the Young Communist League of SA, which called on him to publicly distance himself from a controversial ANC lobby group, dubbed the premier league.

The YCLSA characterised Zuma as chairman of this faction, which consists of the premiers of North West (Supra Mahumapelo), Free State (Ace Magashule) and Mpumalanga (David Mabuza), who also serve as ANC provincial chairmen in their provinces.

The leaders stand accused of pushing for their candidates to hold strategic leadership positions within the ruling party.

The league also called on Zuma to fire the controversial Hawks boss, Berning Ntlemeza, and to announce a new board of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) during Thursday's Youth Day commemorations.

It was the premier league and Zuma who were the main targets for attacks by the YCLSA on Tuesday.

The league’s national secretary, Mluleki Dlelanga, dismissed the premier league as a “parasitic bourgeoisie who are hell-bent on anti-communist tendencies and corrupting the state”.

He said the allegation that Zuma presided over the premier league could not be disputed. “It’s up to him (Zuma) to portray that he is not the chairman of the premier league. A president of the ANC in these trying times in the movement is supposed to be the one uniting the alliance.

“He can’t be part of a faction,” said Dlelanga.

The league’s statements are in tandem with those of its mother body, the SACP.

Dlelanga said Zuma must distance himself from the premier league “and he must come out and condemn it”.

Dlelanga was briefing the media in Joburg following the YCLSA’s political commission held at the weekend.

He accused Ntlemeza of using the crime-fighting agency to fight political battles.

The SACP has alleged that the Hawks boss was overhead saying that “communists must be harassed”.

Since then, the communists have been calling for his head, saying Zuma needed to fire Ntlemeza with immediate effect.

“It is beyond comprehension as to how a former apartheid security branch operative could be appointed as head of the Hawks,” said Dlelanga.

He also weighed in on the NYDA, saying a further delay in appointing a new board would “constitute an injustice to the young people” who needed the agency's assistance.

They also wanted YCLSA national chairman Yershen Pillay to serve another term as executive chairman of the NYDA.

“Pillay has done so much to change the board, which was known for its scandals, into a board (representing the interests of the) youth of this country. All we expect of Zuma on June 16 is to announce a new board,” said Dlelanga.

The YCLSA’s political commission chairman, Bongani Mwale, criticised State Security Minister David Mahlobo for his “unprecedented visibility” on many platforms.

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The Star

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