The ANC Youth League in Luthuli House has joined the war against ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee started by party administration boss Fikile Mbalula.
The young lion’s president Collen Malatji this week came out guns blazing against “golden boys” of the ANC in Gauteng in what is understood to be a missile directed at the province’s head of elections and MEC for finance Lebogang Maile.
Mbalula’s allies
The ANCYL leaders at the head office are known to be close to Mbalula who did the heavy lifting to see them elected exactly a year ago.
Malatji’s onslaught on the ANC Gauteng leaders comes shortly after Mbalula last week fired the first salvo at the ANC GP PEC, accusing them of running the organisation through zoom meetings.
Mbalula, during his interview with Sunday World Engage had also fingered the party in the province of being obsessed with factional politics and sharing the spoils of positions.
On Monday, Malatji moved the offensive into high gear saying the youth yeague was disappointed by Premier Panyaza Lesufi and how he constituted the provincial executive council.
Untouchable golden boys who drink expensive whiskies
“We know there are golden boys in Gauteng whom no one can touch. In every deployment it is always obvious that they are going to be MEC. What kind of person is this one who is untouchable?” said Malatji in a veiled swipe at Maile.
“We don’t know who they represent as they don’t have a constituency – theirs is to drink expensive whiskies and smoke cigars.
“We say to comrade Panyaza, no one is untouchable. Anyone who wants to be an MEC in Gauteng must fill up a stadium first. At least the ANCYL can fill up stadiums.”
Murmurs of Maile’s “unfettered power” have been rising at Luthuli House corridors since the collapse of the government of provincial unity (GPU) talks with the DA.
At the height of those collapsed negotiations, Maile had addressed a press conference with provincial secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza where he was unequivocal about his intolerance of DA’s strongarm tactics.
Since then, attempts were made in Pixley Seme Street (ANC head office street address) to cause a rift between Maile and Lesufi, including planting anti-Maile questions during press conferences.
Dead election campaign
Malatji also charged that the elections campaign of the ANC in the province, headed by Maile, ahead of the May 29 polls, was the weakest.
“We are sitting at below 40% in Gauteng because we have deployed people who do not service the people of our province.
“The election campaign in Gauteng was dead. Only Panyaza (Lesufi) was busy, the ANC in this province was nowhere in the election campaign.
“They were busy at stadium suites, smoking cigars and dishing out expensive champagne for slay queens while they forgot about our people on the ground. Our people have had enough of celebrity leaders, they want accessible leaders.”
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