Dubious ANCYL congress held 10 hours after announcement

Drama erupted in Ekurhuleni as the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the region accused the other youth league faction of organising an illegitimate regional conference without proper procedures.

Sunday World understands the other faction had sent text messages to branch members at 1.45am on Tuesday alerting them that there will be a regional conference at 12 midday, just 10 hours after the announcement.

According to insiders within the youth league in Ekurhuleni, the move to host the conference under dubious circumstances was aimed at excluding other members so that they could not participate at the forthcoming ANC regional conference.

“We were informed via SMS messages that there will be a conference that was never planned at all. This was an act of hijacking processes, as it did not make sense to alert members at the eleventh hour that there would be a conference.

“These thugs are destroying the movement and push their own agendas hence they had sent the message while everyone was asleep,” said one of the officials of the youth league in the region.

Another member of the youth league said the intention of holding the bogus congress was aimed at excluding other members from participating in the forthcoming ANC regional congress. “They are taking chances and resort to mafia style of hostile takeover. What an utter nonsense,” said an official.

In the message we have seen, it reads: “Greetings branch delegate. The ANCYL RCPC in Ekurhuleni is inviting you to the 6th ANC Regional Congress. Date: 17 May 2022, Venue: Khutsafa [Kempton Park], Time: 12pm to 5pm.”

The bogus conference enraged the structures of the ANC Youth League in the region and the organisation issued a scathing statement regarding the illegitimate conference.

The ANCYL branch member, who is a branch chairperson of ward 109 in Daveyton, Mfundo Ngqabishe, was one of the excluded members at the bogus congress. He wrote a statement on behalf of other excluded members and said there are gangsters trying to hijack the youth league in order to position themselves for the upcoming congress.

“It is with dismay, anger and frustration to report that gangsters masquerading as leaders will steal the Ekurhuleni ANCYL regional congress today. These thugs are planning to sit a dodgy congress at a secret location despite pending disputes, no national audit and no discussion documents being issued out.

“There will be no preponderance of ideas on renewal whatsoever, just brazen stealing of congress and a booze fest to celebrate the illegitimate victory. The reason for this hastened illegitimate congress is directly linked to the pending Ekurhuleni ANC regional congress,” said Ngqabishe.

Nelisiwe Nkomo, a youth league leader who had sent messages to members in the wee hours of the morning, did not respond to our questions and her phone was switched off.


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