Members of the ANC Youth League in the Western Cape have thumbed their noses at the ANC by inviting expelled league president Julius Malema to address a packed hall at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) on Thursday.
Malema, who snuck in and out of Cape Town, continued his campaign against President Jacob Zuma, taking swipes at him and also attacking deputy communications minister Stella Ndabeni, who criticised Malema’s ally Winnie Madikizela-Mandela earlier this week.
A senior youth league leader said Malema had been invited not by one group, but by a few, including the SA Students’ Congress (Sasco), “comrades in their personal capacity” and former and current members of the youth league.
“The hall was packed and it takes about 200 people. There were also people outside,” said the member, who asked not to be named.
The visit to the city came after the youth league’s provincial deputy chairman in Gauteng, Simon Molefe, hit out at Malema for mobilising against a second term for Zuma, threatening to take tough action against league members backing Malema’s campaign.
The Gauteng youth league also wants his post filled to avoid the confusion as to who is the league’s president.
This is despite the league’s national executive committee resolving that Malema must stay on as president until its next elective conference in 2014.
The youth league in Gauteng also distanced itself from a group calling itself Friends of the Youth League, that has organised rallies where Malema has spoken.
“This emanates from internal youth league battles. They (Gauteng) want to stand and be seen as heroes in the newspapers. The ANCYL still regards Julius as its president. These are just opportunists masquerading,” said the member.
CPUT spokesman Thami Nkwanyane said the visit had nothing to do with the institution.
“Our venues can be used by the SRC and people from outside. But I can confirm that he was not invited by us,” said Nkwanyane.
Mfuzo Zenzile, the league’s Dullah Omar regional secretary, said he was not aware of the meeting.
“It was not an official programme of the youth league.
“I don’t even know who are these Friends of the Youth League,” said Zenzile.
Political Bureau