The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has been ordered by its mother body not to speak about the contentious 2017 ANC elective conference after newly elected president Collen Maine spoke in favour of President Jacob Zuma serving a third term as party leader.
Maine spoke to City Press shortly after delivering a speech to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the ANCYL at Mthatha’s Zamukulungisa campus of the Walter Sisulu University, but he refused to answer questions relating to Zuma serving a third term.
“The ANC has called on all of us to stop talking about 2017. We are not going to talk about 2017 as the youth league, because we are a disciplined league of the ANC,” said Maine.
Some of the students booed him while others cheered.
He warned that young people would continue going to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) led by Julius Malema, who he referred to as “a boy from Seshego” whose name he had forgotten.
He called on the Progressive Youth Alliance to be united behind Sasco as the leader on university campuses supported by the ANCYL and other progressive youth structures.
Maine also slated his predecessor, Malema, saying the former youth league firebrand had been misleading young people when it came to economic freedom.
“Economic freedom is a resolution of the youth league, which was made at Gallagher Estate and stolen by Julius Malema and those who followed him. Economic freedom will only be achieved by the ANC Youth League, not some boy from Seshego,” said Maine.
He called on those who were unhappy with his leadership collective – and in perpetual campaign mode after losing in the recent ANCYL conference – to go join the EFF, as they did not belong in the ANCYL.
“We are not anarchist here in the ANCYL. Anarchy belongs to Malema and his people. Deal with your egos because we want a strong, progressive youth alliance. If you are counter-revolutionary, you don’t belong here. This is a youth league of the ANC – if you don’t like it, go out,” said Maine.
Source: News24
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