The ANC Women’s League has defined the lead up to the party’s 55th National Elective Conference as “the ANC’s darkest years”.
League president Bathabile Dlamini told The Star the survival of the party depended on the removal of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“We have never experienced this. As women we disagreed with president Mandela, president Mbeki and president Zuma. Even in the tough conditions where Mandela had tension with his wife (Winnie Madikizela Mandela) and she was part of the leadership of the Women’s League, Mandela never shut down the league.
“At this point we have no women’s league, no youth league and no MKMVA. We are in the ANC’s darkest years. All our leagues have been killed. All that exists are small scattered units who cannot tell Ramaphosa that he must account for Phala Phala,” Dlamini said.
Ramaphosa has failed to come clean on the Phala Phala scandal that rocked his presidency. This after a break-in at his farm in Limpopo where millions of dollars stuffed in furniture were stolen.
Five suspects were allegedly traced using a bogus drug case and located in Milnerton, before they were kidnapped, tortured and apparently bribed for their silence, according to former State Security Agency boss Arthur Fraser’s affidavit.
Dlamini said the Phala Phala (matter) was evidence of a corrupt state.
“He (Ramaphosa) doesn’t want to build the organisation. He co-opts people into his office and into the organisation so they can agree with him. They are basically his lapdogs. They don’t tell him to come clean. This is the man that came into power on ticket of anti-corruption and clean governance. But he is in the thick of corruption.”
Dlamini said leagues were the backbone of the party. “Any memory of the ANC is one of the young people who devoted themselves to end apartheid; of the women who marched on the steps of the Union Buildings. That’s the heritage of the ANC. The leagues are our pride, now they are destroyed. I don’t know a president who would want to destroy that.”
Controversy and factionalism have continued to plague the youth league.
The infighting has seen the recent conference being mired in controversy amid altercations and allegations of manipulation of branches and data as well as failing to follow processes and guidelines governing the hosting of congresses.
One member of the youth structure told The Star that branches were stolen across the region by manipulating data and processes, leaving many young people disgruntled, while disputes were written and escalated to both regional and national structures.
The women’s league was disbanded three months ago when it was clear that it would endorse a female candidate as ANC president.
The MKMVA was disbanded following the death of its president Kebby Maphotsoe.
Ramaphosa, who is linked to MK Council, a rival post Mkhonto Wesizwe structure, said he was working to unite MKMVA and MK Council.
MKMVA has slammed Ramaphosa, saying he aided corruption and destroyed the party.