Day one of ANCYL conference marred by delays

In this picture taken on June 29, event organisers attend to last minute preparations before the start of the conference. Picture: ANCYL/Twitter

In this picture taken on June 29, event organisers attend to last minute preparations before the start of the conference. Picture: ANCYL/Twitter

Published Jun 30, 2023

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With the ANC Youth League conference finally convening to elect new leadership after years of delays, chaos around registration delegates and the media marred proceedings on the first day.

Some regions complained that the conference was tainted while other delegates are not legitimate participants.

Some of those who complained are delegates from the Vhembe region in Limpopo who were angered by the fact that some were not properly vetted and were sneaked through the back door of their respective branches.

Despite this, Tumelo Siliga from the northern region said they would pursue legal action but the conference would decide on the legitimacy of these candidates.

“We have many challenges, as you will know, a conference is a conference of branches and it should be composed of branch delegates.

"But the challenge we have with this conference is that in our region, those who are legitimate branch delegates have been sidelined. With the secretary literally just filling packages, just appointing delegates for branches and we are still here shocked to say how such gathering is allowed and there is no repercussions,” Siliga alleged.

He added that they have raised their matter with the National Youth Task Team (NYTT).

“So those are the challenges we are facing, we have been to a certain extent went to demand and answer from the NYTT that we everything that is going, it seems as if we are blue ticked, we are not getting any answer,” Siliga said during an interview with eNCA on Friday around 11am.

This is while delegates from the North West told the broadcaster that all was on track with their registration.

So far, the frontrunners for the top five national positions are Ekurhuleni convenor and ANCYL national youth task team (NYTT) coordinator Collen Malatji who is gunning for the league’s presidency with Amajuba District Municipality speaker Phumzile Mgcina vying for the position of deputy.

Delegates from the Eastern Cape break out in song as they arrive in Nasrec on conference day, 30 June 2023. Picture: Timothy Bernard/African News Agency (ANA).

Eastern Cape's Mntuwoxolo Ngudle is vying for the position of secretary-general, the de facto chief executive officer of the league while Limpopo's Tsakani Shiviti wants to be Ngudle’s deputy.

ANCYL PTT Spokesperson Zwelo Masilela on the other hand has set his sights on the treasurer position.

Meanwhile, some of those who were hopeful of making it to the ballot to get elected to positions could not muster enough nominations to reach the 20 percent threshold.

Among those who will not make it to the ballot, but are still hoping to make it through nominations from the floor is former President Jacob Zuma's daughter and head of the ANCYL's fundraising task team Thuthukile Zuma who wants to contest for the position of treasurer against Masilela.

Should the plan to nominate people from the floor go ahead, Aphiwe Mkhangelwa from the Eastern Cape will take on Malatji while Thabiso Mngadi from KwaZulu-Natal will take on Mgcina and Thandeka Sikhosana from Mpumalanga will take on Ngudle.

Nokuthula Chakane from the Free State will contest against Masilela.

While KwaZulu-Natal is still hoping to field candidates from the floor, its major setback to have a leader of the league suffered a blow last month when Sizophila Mkhize pulled out, saying she is not available to contest any position.

However, Portia Tuta Nyambose, an outgoing member of the NYTT, has raised her hand to contest for a seat in the league's national executive committee.

The spokesperson of the NYTT, Zwelo Masilela told the media on the sidelines of the conference that they are hopeful that proceedings will eventually run smoothly throughout Friday.

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