Durban - ANC Youth League secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza has blamed financial woes on its failure to hold its elective conference on time.
The league’s conference was due last month, but Nzuza said there was no money as the league was paying debts to avoid liquidation.
Nzuza said the troubles led to his office being unable to distribute packages, which branch general meetings (BGMs) use to nominate candidates and delegates for the conference.
“The debts affected the working of the ANCYL, but we have since paid the amount that was due, and we are resolving issues. That is why we have now sent through BGM packs to provinces,” he said.
eThekwini regional spokesperson Thulisa Ndlela said Nzuza has delayed the packages despite “the ANCYL guidelines stipulating the date for the released of the packages”.
“The date for the release of the packages has come and gone without valid reasons. As eThekwini, we were supposed to start on July 8.”
ANCYL chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal Kwazi Mshengu said Nzuza’s office was struggling with producing the packages “as you know that
there are many branches across the country”.
“We had to accept the explanation although we are disappointed because, in our view, we were ready from July to hold BGMs,” said Mshengu.
Some regional leaders accused Nzuza of deliberately delaying BGMs in fear that his preferred presidential candidate Reggie Nkabinde, league treasurer-general, might lose to his opponent Thanduxolo Sabelo, KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary.
However, Nzuza denied taking sides between Nkabinde and Sabelo.
“I do not take sides in the contest as I am the SG,” he said.
He accused provinces of failing to inform regions about challenges the league was facing.
“The regions are not supposed to be complaining, but they are supposed to be understanding because they are supposed to be briefed regularly about this issue,” said Nzuza.
Nzuza said his office started distributing the packages yesterday to provinces for BGMs to sit.
He said the task team announced by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule was meant to assist the league to hold a conference.
Nzuza said there had been confusion about the task team, as there are league members who think the ANCYL was stripped of its powers.
“The ANC Youth League is not under administration, and its
powers have not been taken away,” Nzuza said.