The ANC Youth League has fired its treasurer-general Pule Mabe, paving the way for Julius Malema’s allies to regain control of the organisation as the power struggle rages on.
Mabe, a Malema nemesis, was axed for allegedly mismanaging the league’s resources and behaving in a factional manner.
Four youth league national executive committee (NEC) members confirmed to The Sunday Independent last night that Mabe had been fired and would be replaced at the league’s national general council (NGC), to be held on a date yet to be determined.
This means the defiant league is likely to push the ANC to reinstate Malema against the wishes of President Jacob Zuma and his allies in the ruling party.
The youth league NEC, a senior structure, also took a resolution not to replace the expelled Malema and secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa.
Mabe’s faction had wanted the two to be ousted. However, Mabe disputed his removal. He told The Sunday Independent that it was a wrongful and unconstitutional move. He said he was contesting the action.
“I am in the meeting. We are dealing with this attempted wrongful removal. Provinces don’t vote on such matters. They want to bring a foreign tendency to balance numbers,” he said.
A Mabe ally also said the Malema faction used illegitimate members and illegal processes to oust the league’s treasurer-general.
It is unclear whether Mabe has enough support to challenge the coup.
League spokeswoman Magdelene Moonsamy could not be reached for comment.
But a youth league NEC member, loyal to Malema, said “a vote of no confidence was adopted unanimously by the NEC to remove the treasurer-general”.
“As we speak right now, he is a former treasurer-general. We are not proud of it but it had to be done,” the NEC member said.
Another youth league NEC member said: “He (Mabe) has been (mismanaging) the organisation’s money. He has not been funding the programmes of the organisation.”
Mabe has for some time now been touted as a replacement for Malema, who was expelled from the ANC after he was found guilty of bringing the party into disrepute and sowing division within its ranks. This is the third attempt to remove Mabe, who is also seen as close to the Zuma camp battling for power in the ANC succession fights. Therefore his removal is likely to be viewed as Malema still wielding power outside the organisation’s formal structures.
Sunday Independent