JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) on Monday called on all its structures to use the upcoming national congress to renew the faltering party, and also vowed that no structure may be disbanded or stripped off its powers on the eve of the congress.
This as the ANCYL announced that it will hold its 26th National Congress to elect new leadership from 18 to 21 October at Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg. The term of office of the current crop of ANCYL leaders expires in September.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANCYL held a meeting this weekend to assess preparations for the 26th national congress and received a report of the congress preparatory committee and a report on the state of readiness.
ANCYL spokesman Mlondi Mkhize said the reports presented to the NEC provided details on membership verification, and the NEC accepted this report, with the exception of membership details from KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
"After challenges on membership details were picked up in these two provinces, the NEC resolved that a team led by ANC auditors will visit these provinces to resolve the challenges and conduct a new process of membership verification and audit," Mkhize said
The NEC also resolved that no structure may be disbanded or stripped off its powers on the eve of this upcoming national congress, because this might appear as a political intervention designed to achieve certain political objectives."
Mkhize said the NEC also resolved that nominating branch general meetings (BGMs) may take place from Tuesday after receiving a signed BGM package from the national office.
"We trust that BGMs preparing for the national congress will run smoothly with no incidents of violence, using money to influence political views of comrades, intimidation of comrades especially from toxic ANC leaders, and undermining of organization processes from deployees to BGMs," he said.
Mkhize also said the NEC resolved to support regional executive committees (RECs) or regional task teams (RTTs), in Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and the Eastern Cape in conducting BGMs, with the RECs and RTTs having full rights and obligations to preside over these BGMs.
ANCYL treasurer-general Reggie Nkabinde and KwaZulu-Natal ANCYL provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabela are expected to battle it out after they threw their names into the hat for the position of the ANCYL president.