By Moshoeshoe Monare and Sibusiso Ngalwa
As ANC factions tried to influence and dominate the party’s national general council plenary session yesterday, youth league spokesman Floyd Shivambu was shouted down when he tried to push for the ruling party to discipline alliance leaders. The league’s attempt to have the disciplinary sanction of its leader, Julius Malema, nullified also failed.
The NGC also did not entertain the argument of the league’s secretary-general, Vuyiswa Tulelo, that ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe should have compiled a comprehensive report on the May disciplinary actions against Malema.
The league also wanted Mantashe to include a report by the youth’s own national general council, campaigning for its mother body to nullify Malema’s disciplinary sanctions.
The league wanted to push for the disciplinary action – which included a two year suspended sentence – to be scrapped, while some ANC provinces were prodding the NGC to suspend or expel Malema.
After the league failed to outmanoeuvre its rivals, Shivambu tried to urge the ANC to be consistent by taking action against alliance members, in a subtle reference to Cosatu head Zwelinzima Vavi.
Vavi is facing severe attacks from the ANC for publicly criticising the conduct of the ruling party’s leaders, including President Jacob Zuma.
But ANC chairwoman Baleka Mbete told Shivambu to sit down.
This was confirmed by two independent sources and ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu.
A youth league member said the plenary decided the NGC was the wrong platform to deal with the disciplinary action against Malema and Vavi.
In its statement the ANC said it was agreed that “the breakdown of discipline and levels of misconduct have reached unacceptable and intolerable proportions over the past two and half years since the Polokwane conference”.
“The NEC in particular and all structures in general need to act with firmness, fairness and consistency.”
Cosatu was peeved by ANC leader Tony Yengeni who – like the youth league – has said the ANC should also discipline alliance members.
In an interview yesterday, Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini said Yengeni was not speaking for the ANC.
“The danger is when you comment as if it is the ANC… It would undermine the independence of the alliance partners if you say disciplinary actions should be taken against leaders of the alliance who criticise the ANC publicly.
“We agree not to undermine the integrity of the ANC. If it happens, the ANC should complain and the alliance partner can decide whether to subject that person to its code. (NGC) plenary said it cannot be decided by the NGC, it should involve alliance partners,” he said.
Yengeni said he did not want to “personalise” the issue. “I was speaking at an ANC press briefing, not on my own behalf.
“All I said is that if any ANC member crosses the line they will be dealt with… equally. If (that) ANC member is also a member of Cosatu and the SACP… then we will arrange to meet Cosatu,” he said.
On Wednesday, Yengeni was also calling for consistency, saying members raised concerns that disciplinary actions should not be selective.
The league’s call for a generational mix – in which it demands the ANC leadership include the youth – was, according to a youth league leader, endorsed.
The league wants Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula to replace Mantashe in 2012.
Mthembu agreed that the party had accepted generational mix.
“The NGC agreed that the principle of generational mix in the composition of leadership has long been a practice in our movement.
“What is important is to ensure individual cadres are assessed in relation to what contribution they will make instead of representing a generation
,” he said.
Some anti-Malema ANC members interpreted the resolution as a defeat for the league, which had campaigned for the generational mix to be adopted as a resolution.