The new leadership of the ANC Youth League in Tshwane has been described by some of its own members as opportunists who are only looking after their own interests.
The members have come under heavy attack from one of the branches, which has questioned their motive in declaring unwavering support for Tshwane executive mayor and ANC regional chairman Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
The league accused senior municipal officials last week of plotting to oust Ramokgopa from both posts. It also claimed these officials were co-ordinating service delivery protests in Metsweding, east of Pretoria, to destabilise the mayor’s office.
But some league members who are critical of the new leadership have branded their motives opportunistic and an attempt to align themselves with the ANC’s regional leadership.
The chairman of the league’s Lotus Gardens branch, Lesego Makhubela, has accused newly elected chairman Sbusiso Ngubeni of trying to secure a powerful position in Tshwane’s Youth Development Unit.
In turn, Ngubeni has questioned Makhubela’s stance in the league, claiming he was suspended for ill-discipline, a claim Makhubela denied on Monday.
Makhubela said Ngubeni’s radical change of stance on Ramokgopa, whom he strongly criticised shortly before Ramokgopa was re-elected as regional chairman earlier this year, was suspicious.
He also accused Ngubeni of being part of the group of ANC members who organised a parallel regional conference to the one at which Ramokgopa was re-elected.
“He was one of the people who were criticising the mayor before he was re-elected. It is surprising that he has suddenly changed his mind and is now supporting him.
“We are vexed and perplexed that Sibusiso will now try to prostitute himself at the expense of the genuine service protests by the people of Metsweding and elsewhere in Tshwane.
“He is desperate to be employed and we therefore plead with him to not insult the people of Metsweding (by saying) that they were rented to protest,” said Makhubela.
The leadership has also been criticised for its insistence that Ngubeni be appointed chairman of the Tshwane Youth Development Unit (YDU), set up to look after the interests of the youth in Tshwane.
The YDU is known to be allocated a budget by the municipality each financial year, with about R1.4 million earmarked last year for youth workshops and special projects only.
The league called on Ramokgopa last week to appoint a new board for the YDU and to start advertising positions in the structure.
It also called on the mayor to allocate a big enough budget for the unit and for it to be elevated to a department in the municipality.
However, it raised eyebrows when it called for the chairperson of the Youth League in Tshwane to be appointed as chairman of the unit.
Asked why it was insisting that a league chairman be appointed to the position, the league said it was the only organisation fit to lead the youth in Tshwane, with capable people to lead the YDU.
But this has drawn criticism that the league simply wanted to politicise the unit and deploy its own cadres instead of appointing suitable candidates on merit.
Ngubeni said on Monday he would not be drawn into a debate with members who “were suspended” from the ANC. Makhubela was bitter as he had lost out on a position during the league congress where Ngubeni had been elected, he said.
Ngubeni said he was not part of the group that organised a parallel congress, so he was not charged or disciplined by the ANC and went on to be elected regional chairman.
Pretoria News