ANCYL leaders reject allegations

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The leadership of the ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal has dismissed as baseless allegations that it was trying to muzzle any opposition to league president Julius Malema ahead of the organisation’s national elective conference in June. Youth League members, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have accused the provincial leadership of sidelining Malema detractors and of interfering in branches known to be against the youth league president. The allegations come in the wake of a chaotic branch general meeting in Nzimakwe near Margate on the South Coast last week. Protesting youths burnt tyres on the streets as they voiced concern about alleged interference in the matters of the branch by senior league leaders. They also complained about the presence of pro-Malema provincial leaders at the meeting who were accompanied by heavily armed private guards.

The presence of the private guards has been viewed as a tactic to intimidate supporters of a local youth league leader, Wandile Mkhize, who is expected to stand for the position of secretary general at the June conference.

Mkhize is aligned to the anti-Malema lobby in the league led by Lebohang Maile, the ANCYL chairman in Gauteng who is to challenge Malema for the presidency.

The league’s provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, a staunch ally of Malema, confirmed attending the meeting last week but said the provincial leadership had been there to ensure that it ran smoothly.

He said previous meetings at the branch have had to be abandoned following unruly behaviour from members; one KZN school was also recently vandalised after it was used as a venue.

The provincial leadership had to attend the meeting to ensure order as the regional leadership responsible for the area had been disbanded, said Mtolo.

He admitted to being accompanied by private bodyguards, saying that this was because the situation was volatile.

Mtolo said that, before Thursday’s meeting, some people who were not members of the league had tried to attend meetings while others openly drank alcohol before the meeting in contravention of the youth league constitution.

He said that provincial executive committee members had called the police to intervene - after some youths became aggressive. “We decided not to use our bodyguards but to call for help from the police. They (the protesting youths) started stoning the police cars and police had to act.”

Mtolo reiterated the province’s support for Malema.

“On that one (support for Malema) we are unstoppable,” he said. “We are saying he should lead for the second term and come June 15 it will be so unless God is not on our side.” - Daily News

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