ANCYL crisis committee wants interdict against 'eldership' running party's youth affairs

The group, calling itself the ANC Youth League crisis committee, announced on Sunday that they have come to this resolution after several attempts to engage the party's leadership on this matter fell on deaf ears.

"The crisis committee has resolved to initiate a legal process against the ANC, demanding a declaratory order and interdicts against the NYTT and all youth league PECs (provincial executive committees)," reads one of the resolutions of Saturday's meeting.

The crisis committee intends handing over these interdicts on 6 November during a national march to ANC offices.

"If you don't want to explain to us, as members of the ANC Youth League, then maybe you want to explain it in court papers," said Nonceba Mhlauli, outside the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House on Sunday afternoon.

They held their press conference outside Luthuli House to symbolise how the youth has been left out of the party, Luzuko Bashman said.

Disbanded

In July last year, the ANC NEC disbanded the ANCYL and appointed the NYTT.

At the time, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said the ANCYL's national executive committee's mandate had come to an end - and the NYTT was tasked to oversee the rebuilding of the youth league.

They had to ensure that a national youth league congress is held no later than 31 January 2020.

The NYTT is convened by Thandi Mahambehlala, along with coordinator Sibongile Besani.

They had been tasked with implementing a programme of action for the youth league, and to work and be assisted by former youth league leaders Zizi Kodwa, Malusi Gigaba and Fikile Mbalula.

Other prominent figures in the ANC roped into stabilising the youth league are Pule Mabe, Dakota Legoete, Faith Muthambi, Ronald Lamola and David Masondo.

Outgoing youth league president Collen Maine and treasurer Reggie Nkabinde have also been retained in the task team.

The 'eldership'

According to the crisis committee, it is in contravention of the ANC and ANCYL constitutions to have people older than 35 years old running the affairs of the youth in the organisation. They have taken to calling the NYTT, the "eldership".

The crisis committee has raised their concerns with the ANC's national leadership since the establishment of the NYTT, and also took it to provincial structures.

In August, a letter signed by 107 ANCYL members were presented to Magashule, in which they demanded the immediate disbandment of the NYTT and the removal of all people over 35 from the ANCYL structures.

"We shouldn't be going to court," Bashman said on Sunday, adding that comrades should have been moved by their own consciences not to overstay their positions.

In September, Besani told News24 there was sympathy for the youth's concerns and it was not new for the NYTT to be composed of NEC members.

He added, though, that it might not be the "best" thing, but that it was part of the mother body's efforts to revive its youth wing.

He said they are dealing with the challenges internally. News24/DM