'It's the ANC that decides, not the youth league'

After a national general council, which can only be described as a triumph for South African and African National Congress President Jacob Zuma, the party returns to business-as-usual on Monday.

It goes without saying that the ANC has done a lot of soul-searching — following the insurrection that was gaining momentum within the party — and emerged a lot stronger for it.

The main area of concern has been the continual sniping by the ANC Youth League at the leaders of the ANC, which prompted the president to remind them on the opening day of the ANC NGC that the ANC was not in alliance with its youth league. This a reminder that the ANCYL is in fact a part of the ANC and subject to its discipline where appropriate.

Zuma did an interview with The Star newspaper, which was published Monday, wherein he criticises the ANCYL’s push for a change in the ruling party’s top leadership structures.

“In the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), which is the highest decision-making body, there is a lot of youth there, so what are you talking about?” asked Zuma, in the interview.

This in response to the ANCYL campaign for a so-called generational mix in the NEC. This seemingly part of the youth league’s attempt to replace ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe with former ANCYL president Fikile Mbalula, now deputy police minister.

Zuma said: “We have a system in the ANC on how do we deal with the question of lobbying and nomination … so why introduce a new culture?” That the lobbying for positions in the ANC despite instructions not to do so “is a huge thing that should be stopped”.

One of the major concerns with the ANC is that immediately after the president and Cabinet were in place and the ANC NEC set, lobbying began for the next elective conference. This means in effect that the ANC and government are in a permanent state of lobbying rather than setting policy and governing.

It is inconceivable that ministers, ANC NEC and even the president can focus on the business at hand if they are running for election almost from the day that they are elected. Incredibly the attacks are originating from within its own structures.

In essence the ANC and government are in a perpetual state of elections.

This ANC NGC was a major step in the right direction — clamping down on lobbying — provided that the NEC ensures that it is never again allowed to slide back to where it was prior to the Durban conference.

As an example during the interview Zuma was asked about youth league leader Julius Malema’s statement that Zuma’s second term as president of the country was not a given.

Zuma replied: “Whatever statement that the youth league made in that line doesn’t bother me at all, because it is not the youth league’s decision … it is the ANC’s decision. We need to help them appreciate that it is the ANC that decides. I will never fight any succession battle, the ANC will decide. If they say one term, why should I argue?”

The point is that at this stage — never mind the fact that the attacks started long ago — the president of South Africa should not be involved in defending his position against what is effectively the junior wing of his own party.

Worse the attacks are ongoing and almost relentless coming almost two years before discussion on succession is due to start.

It would be interesting to see where else on the planet the youth league of a major party would be allowed to be so destructive towards the parent body, on a seemingly never-ending basis, and get away with it.

While opposition parties are taking on the government and party on policy, the ANCYL is attacking the leaders on personality; sometimes using policy such as nationalisation as the battering ram. After a meeting of the ANCYL NEC, a warning was sent out to any ANC leader who dared to oppose their key policy.

The president also said in the interview that he would make sure that Malema went to political school, as was ordered during his disciplinary hearing, but which had not yet been enforced. Malema received a two-year suspended sentence in May for bringing the party into disrepute.

When Malema was approached by The Star for comment on Zuma saying youth leaders did not understand how the ANC operated he responded by saying: “It’s okay.”

The problem is that it really is not okay and the ANC needs to finally define the role of its youth league in order that it be a force for positive change, grooming of young leaders and new ideas rather than an ongoing thorn in the side of the party and the government.