Youth league boss gets elbow

Pule Mabe became the biggest loser after the ANC canned its youth league's elective conference and turned it into a talk shop.

Most structures preferred Mabe to take over the running of the ANC Youth League after it was dissolved in 2012 following its former president Julius Malema's fallout with President Jacob Zuma.

Zuma is expected to address the consultative congress in Johannesburg this morning.

In a dramatic twist of events, ANC officials, led by Zuma, dissolved the league's national task team on Monday night.

The officials instructed the league not to elect new leaders but to turn the conference into a policy gathering.

Various factions were locked in meetings yesterday to discuss the officials' decision.

A member of the now dissolved national task team said Zuma read the team the riot act before the decision was taken.

"He told us the conference would embarrass the ANC because there have already been cases of violence in Eastern Cape. He referred to the infighting in the organisation. He also spoke about the use of money for campaigning," a task team member said.

Former deputy president of the league Ronald Lamola, who was in the running for the league's presidency, said he would study the decision.

With Mabe turning 35 in March, he will fall out of the running as membership of the league is open only to people between the ages 14 and 35.

A Mabe campaigner said the postponement of the elections was meant to block him from ascending to the league's top position.

Mabe is facing charges of fraud and corruption related to the alleged siphoning of funds from the SA Social Security Agency. The ANC's integrity committee had recommended that he refrain from running for the post because of the cloud hanging over him.

"Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal say we're going to vote by force. Comrades are angry," he said.

Yesterday, coordinator of the dissolved task team, Magasela Mzobe, said: "Having appreciated the gravity of the challenges the ANCYL still faces and after extensive consultation with the ANC officials, it has been resolved that... the national congress be in two phases."

The first phase will be the consultative conference, to be held this week, and the second the elective congress in March.