Mbalula axes youth league convener on the eve of conference

29 June 2023 - 20:38
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Fikile Mbalula, ANC's secretary-general
Fikile Mbalula, ANC's secretary-general
Image: Lubabalo Lesolle/Gallo Images

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has axed Xola Nqola as the convener of the party youth league task team on the eve of its national conference. 

Nqola, appointed just three months ago, was tasked along with coordinator Nomasonto Motaung with delivering the youth league conference, whichsits this weekend after several false starts over the years. 

Mbalula wrote to Nqola on Thursday saying he had taken a decision to remove him for convening and presiding over the Eastern Cape conference despite a clear directive that it should not sit.

The Eastern Cape conference, which elected its leadership in the still of the night, was said to have been “patently irregular” and “unauthorised” by Mbalula, who read Nqola and some of the task team members the riot act on Wednesday. 

According to Mbalula’s Thursday letter, Nqola lied to his task team colleagues that the conference was approved by his office even thought it had been made clear it can only sit after the national conference. 

This, Mbalula said in the letter, was clear defiance that warranted his removal. 

Nqola’s behaviour, Mbalula said, was  “unacceptable” and amounted to “gross ill-discipline and refinance”. 

“This leaves the SGO with no option but to take the necessary urgent corrective measures to ensure that the mandate given to the ANCYL by the NWC is carried out,” wrote Mbalula. 

“Accordingly, we hereby inform you that your membership of the ANCYL NYTT, and by extension, your position as its convener, are terminated with immediate effect.”

Reading them the riot act, Mbalula on Wednesday had told Nqola and others that they had spread false information that in a meeting with them on Monday evening he gave the conference the go-ahead when he had not.

Mbalula said in the Wednesday letter that it had been clear in their meeting on Monday night that the conference was not authorised for various reasons, including an outstanding approval from the task team’s working committee and because there was no evidence that a membership audit had been done.

“It was clear that this would render the conference non-compliant and thus open to a challenge,” wrote Mbalula in a letter dated June 28. “Accordingly, we directed in clear and uncertain terms that the ANCYL Eastern Cape provincial conference should not proceed but rather be scheduled to take place after the ANCYL national congress.”

Mbalula said at the time that he had expressed, in his late-night meeting with the NYTT, that he was disappointed with the conduct of some of its members. He also said he was clear that some of the members would have to be disciplined for their actions.

“Notwithstanding the directive, based on the above-mentioned evidence, that the ANCYL Eastern Cape conference be discontinued, some NYTT members decided to continue and misled the membership that the secretary-general had sanctioned the continuation of the conference,” said Mbalula.

Mbalula said he found the behaviour of some NYTT members “unacceptable and amounts to gross ill-discipline and defiance”.

“This leaves the SGO with no option but to take the necessary corrective measures.” 

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