Malema: The beginning of the end?

Moloko Moloto, writing for IOL, was reporting yesterday that the ANC in Limpopo was considering reconvening the disputed youth league provincial conference which would come as a political blow to ANCYL president Julius Malema.

The gist of the article was that the Limpopo provincial executive committee met with Lehlogonolo Masoga — ostracised by Malema for running a parallel youth structure and who had launched an urgent application (which has been remanded to a later date) to interdict Malema from expelling him from the party — in order to resolve outstanding issues.

According to Moloto the meeting was aimed at brokering a deal for Masoga to drop the case and allow the youth league’s conference to be reconvened.

Though the IOL reporter could not establish whether this was the deal reached he did confirm that Masoga was pleased with the meeting calling it “fruitful and a success”.

Of course we recently had the case of Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale being chased out of a meeting by angry members of the ANC in the Waterberg region. This allegedly for his being there was to convey a decision taken by the provincial working committee that the Waterberg region should be disbanded for “failing to provide political leadership”.

Malema interestingly enough was also present at that meeting. An ANC leader in the region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Sowetan that the decision to disband the regional structure was taken because “members differed with Mathale’s supporters”. He added that the plan by Mathale and his supporters was to ensure that the region went to next year’s local government elections led by a task team favourable to them so that they could appoint mayors and councillors who were in their good books.

This of course was also the case when the ANCYL evicted opponents of Malema from their conference in Limpopo.

If, however, the provincial leadership of the party has now brokered the deal set out above then it will go a long way towards restoring confidence in the region and strike a major blow for democracy.

In essence it sends a signal to those who would contrive results by shutting down regions and evicting opponents in order to gain an advantage at elective conferences that their opponents won’t just roll over and play dead or accept their fate as a fait accompli.

Instead they will go to court, evict party leaders or even approach the NEC or PEC — as the case may be — in order to make themselves heard.

This means that the wishes of the members on the ground, who elect delegates to attend conferences, now have a chance of being heard and, if they are the majority, carried out.

This lends itself to the belief that there are channels that can be followed where a breakdown in the system occurs. That excludes the need for violence and other unwelcome methods being employed. The situation of the ANCYL in the Eastern Cape comes to mind with a model for reconciliation provided by Limpopo.

Whether Malema likes it or not and regardless of whether the step was agreed grudgingly the ANC are to be complimented on their decision to take it.

Following this approach will strengthen the ties that bind rather than stretch them to breaking point.

Future of Malema cartoon – Wonkie!