'ANC gagged youth league'

Angry ANC Youth League members are demanding answers from the parent body about the omission of their message of support from the party's centenary booklet.

The ANC distributed the booklet, containing statements from ANC president Jacob Zuma and alliance structures, to members to mark its 100th anniversary at the weekend.

Livid youth league members who spoke to The Times said yesterday the omission of their message from the booklet was by "design" and that they deserved an explanation.

Youth league secretary-general Sindiso Maqaxa and spokesman Magdalene Moonsamy refused to comment on or explain why their message of support was not included in the booklet.

But the ANC defended itself yesterday. Spokesman Keith Khoza rubbished claims of a plot to sabotage the youth league.

He said alliance partners and the party's leagues had been told in time about the booklet and its deadlines.

The ANC had had to go to print last week without the contribution from its youth league, he said.

"It was not deliberate or intentional on the ANC's part to exclude the youth league's message from the centenary booklet.

"All other parties made submissions on time and theirs failed to arrive by the time we went to print," Khoza said.

He cautioned against party members seeing every move by the ANC as a plot against the youth league leadership.

"The ANC is not at war with its youth league and claims that the omission was a deliberate act on our part are wrong," Khoza said.

Speaking to the South African Press Association, youth league spokesman Floyd Shivambu said the "booklet issue" was probably an "oversight" by the ANC's communication section.

He said as far as he understood, no request was made for a message from the youth league.

ANC spokesman Jackson Mthembu also said the youth league's message of support had reached the printers too late to be included in the centenary booklet.

"You cannot print what you do not have . Comrade Jesse Duarte tried her best, but it missed the printing," said Mthembu.

The ANC had received all messages except those from the ANC Women's League and the youth league by the January 3 deadline, he said. The youth league's message had been ready only on January 4 and the printer was asked to include it, but was unable to do so.

"The printer said it was too late, so what can you do?"

The furore around the booklet comes shortly after the ANC leadership was accused of strong-arm tactics in not allowing leaders other than Zuma to address the masses at the centenary celebration on Sunday. - Additional reporting Sapa