ANALYSIS | Factionalism will triumph, despite vow of unity from ANCYL task team

Is it possible to have functional children in a divided family in which parents are constantly at each other’s throats? Most unlikely.

Thus it is a pipe dream that a divided ANC parent body can have united, functional structures.

This reality will not escape the newly appointed ANCYL national youth task team (NYTT) unveiled by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule this week.

It replaces another task team which was rocked by deep factionalism emanating from the interests of groupings within the ANC mother body.

Because of this the previous task team, characterised by differences between its convener, Tandi Mahambehlala, and coordinator, Sibongile Besani, failed to fulfil its task of convening an elective congress.

The polarity between the pair was anchored in their factional affiliations. The former is a known supporter of the party’s radical economic transformation (RET) brigade (former president Jacob Zuma’s supporters), while Besani is head of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office at Luthuli House, the ANC’s headquarters.

Allegations of manipulation of processes to favour the interests of a particular faction were also cited as a reason for them butting of heads.

That type of chaos is inevitable in the new task team, given heightened factionalism in the ruling party.

For starters, the consideration given to pleasing both factions is glaring in the composition of the 35-member team.

There are already perceptions about the factional posturing of prominent members on the divide in the parent body.

To compound matters, some from the previous team, which failed due to factional divisions, have been retained because “they are under 35”, according to Magashule.

The composition of the team in a manner that pleases factions in the parent body begs the question: what is different about this team other than the age of its members?

A closer look reveals there is nothing.

To make matters worse, there are at least three individuals within the team whose names have been bandied about to be the next president of the ANCYL when or if congress ever sits.

They are Collen Malatji, task team convener Nonceba Mhlauli and Sizophila Mkhize.

This brings into sharp focus the contradiction between self and factional interest and the core function of rebuilding the youth league and putting together a credible, untainted congress.

This brings into sharp focus the contradiction between self and factional interest and the core function of rebuilding the youth league and putting together a credible, untainted congress.

Task team coordinator Joy Maimela believes they can manage this.

“The ANC believes in collective leadership. So every activity that we must undertake will be subjected to this structure that consists of representatives from provinces,” she said.

“That is your checks and balances to make sure a person does not do as they wish or manipulate the process to favour you or your personal interests.”

Among the 35 members is Thuthu Zuma, the beleaguered former president’s daughter.

Common sense dictates she will not miss the opportunity to influence events to favour her father and his faction. 

Furthermore, interference in ANC structures by senior leaders married to the mother body to advance their interests is a known and old phenomenon.

This task team will not be the exception and already, unprovoked, has invited this problem to its doorstep.

“We are going to be meeting over this weekend and part of what we are going to be doing is also inviting former leaders of the youth league, some in previous NYTTs etc, because we are not assuming we have all the answers,” said Mhlauli.

Those former leaders will include former ANCYL deputy president Andile Lungisa, whose faction in the mother body has its back against the wall and is desperate to bounce back.

Also among those former leaders will be Fikile Mbalula, who has pinned his colours to the mast in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s clean-up faction, which is moving to cement control of the party, while dislodging its opponents.

Nothing would stop either from pushing for an ANCYL leadership, once congress is convened, that will advance and protect its interests.

The determination of the new task team to rebuild a militant structure akin to that of Peter Mokaba’s and others is admirable.

However, factionalism in the ANC is a contagious pandemic that spares no party structure and has infected the current ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) and Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), among others.

The last ANCYL leadership was also entrenched in the mother body’s factions. History is most likely to repeat itself.