Soweto - ANC Youth League Deputy Secretary General Thandi Moraka has called on the league's president Collen Maine to resign for being a “coward and liar”.
Moraka said Maine did not deserve to lead the league because he is not loyal to its resolutions and was a “sell out”.
Speaking at the ANC Women’s League memorial service for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on Thursday, Moraka said Maine betrayed the league for apologizing for the youth league’s support for Minister in Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma at the ANC’s December elective conference.
“Comrade Collen Maine is a coward and doesn’t deserve to be called a youth league leader. He went to President Cyril Ramaphosa and apologized for the league supporting Dlamini Zuma. That was his own apology and does not represent the league.
“You are liar. You do not deserve to be the youth league leader of this country. We cannot have a leader of the youth league who goes and sings for [his] supper at national leadership. You need to resign with immediate effect,” said Moraka.
“We call on Maine to resign with immediate effects because she has put the reputation of league into disrepute.”
Moraka’s speech was well received by guests at the memorial who included Dlamini Zuma, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) President Bathabile Dlamini and ANC NEC member Tony Yengeni who hugged and applauded her following her speech.
Moraka also criticised ANC delegates who attended the conference for not electing Madikizela-Mandela to join the National Executive Committee (NEC).
“Ma Winnie wanted to be part of the NEC, but we excluded her at the conference in December. We must apologise to her for that,” she said.
She also tore into former president Thabo Mbeki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
She accused Mbeki of not having suffered during apartheid like Madikizela-Mandela did.
She was responding to Mbeki’s controversial comments on Madikizela-Mandela’s legacy.
“Thabo Mbeki never tasted the effects of apartheid. If he hated Ma Winnie, he has to hate us all now,” said Moraka.
“Pray for Archbishop Tutu who tried to blame Ma Winnie for something she didn’t do. Archbishop Tutu in order to still be honored as a Bishop needs to come clean and explain what happened at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” said Moraka to loud applause.