Youth brass rap Collen Maine for Gupta 'confession'

15 April 2018 - 00:00 By QAANITAH HUNTER
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Collen Maine's confession this week was seen by many as an attempt to cosy up to the newly elected ANC leadership led by Cyril Ramaphosa.
Collen Maine's confession this week was seen by many as an attempt to cosy up to the newly elected ANC leadership led by Cyril Ramaphosa.
Image: Gallo Images / The Times / Moeletsi Mabe

ANC Youth League president Collen Maine has been reprimanded by the league's top brass over his confession that he was introduced to the Gupta family by North West premier Supra Mahumapelo.

Youth league leaders held a meeting behind closed doors at Luthuli House on Friday, chaired by Maine's deputy, Desmond Moela, to discuss the political furore that emerged after Maine's confessions.

Maine announced at a memorial service for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in the North West this week that he had a case to answer for his relationship with the Guptas - who he said he was not introduced to by former president Jacob Zuma. The league in the past defended Maine against accusations that he was captured by the Gupta family.

His confession was seen by many in the league as an attempt to cosy up to the newly elected ANC leadership led by Cyril Ramaphosa.

The factional divisions in the youth league brought a respite for Maine as the meeting agreed to censure him and the league's deputy secretary-general Thandi Moroka, who responded to Maine by publicly calling him a sellout. Moroka said Maine was being opportunistic as he had not confessed to his sins when asked last year about his relationship with the Guptas.

Maine has long defended the Guptas but denied he had done any favours for them.

Moela said on Friday that Maine was told to explain himself and apologise for associating his remarks with the league.

"We have reprimanded the president to say that such statements are not bringing unity in the organisation. We said to the president if he wanted to confess, he should have done so long ago when we asked him about it," said Moela.

Moela, known to be sympathetic to Maine, said the league president was cautioned against bringing the league into disrepute.


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