Factionalism weighs heavily as the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) elective conference draws closer.
The ANC has committed to help its Youth League to have a credible and successful conference.
The NEC has set up a task team to oversee preparations. Members of the task team include Lindiwe Zulu, former ANCYL leaders Fikile Mbalula, Ronald Lamola and Zizi Kodwa.
Already there are allegations that some senior ANC members including Secretary-General Ace Magashule are working behind the scenes to have their preferred candidate Thanduxolo Sabelo elected president.
“The youth league has an opportunity to meet with the task team established by the NEC of the ANC. The ANC will help to ensure that the conference defines the task of current organisations credible and that the league members emerge united,” says Magashule.
Some analysts believe factionalism is entrenched in the ANC and its leagues.
Political analyst Professor Susan Booysen says: ”So much is still going to depend on what exactly happens at that conference whether the run up or the recruitment of office bearers for the ANC Youth League is being influenced by factionalism of not . We know there are many attempts to make it a factional youth league.”
ANC Youth League KZN Secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo and ANC Youth League Treasurer Reggie Nkabinde are the main contenders to take over the reigns from Collen Maine.
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