Party renewal, corruption in local government and a focus on higher education are some of the issues that the Lejweleputswa African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has resolved to focus on.
The Lejweleputswa ANCYL is holding its two-day elective conference at the Aldam Resort in Ventersburg. The region has elected an unopposed leadership since 2017 when it was disbanded and an interim structure was put in place.
The league has kicked off a series of elective conferences that are set to pave the way to the much-awaited Free State provincial ANC election later this year.
The ANCYL in Lejweleputswa says it is tired of factionalism in the party. The youth league has resolved to also tackle the divisions in the party. This is the first time that the league has elected an uncontested leadership in five years.
The league’s newly elected chairperson Mokgethi Setlhalefo says they will focus on unity and renewal.
Setlhalefo says, “We are not going to compromise. Remember we are saying unity and renewal and as the ANC Youth League, we have resolved that renewal of the ANC and the league is not going to accommodate anyone who is not willing to unite the organisation. If you are not willing to work with other comrades you are affiliated with like you, pay the same amount as you, you are going to go out. there’s no platinum membership in the ANC.”
The newly elected chairperson added that the youth league wants to deal with corruption in local government. He says they will keep an eye on leaders deployed to local government as part of an effort to ensure clean governance in municipalities.
Setlhalefo says, “What is of paramount importance now is to deal with the aspirations of our people and make sure that service delivery is being dealt with, to make sure that we elect credible leaders as councillor, to ensure that we elect credible leaders as mayors so that we fast track the question of dealing with service delivery in our communities.”
He also laments the lack of higher education institutions in the region, saying the conference has resolved that engagements between the youth league, the mother body and the Department of Higher Education have to take place. Mokgethi says it is an injustice that the region has only two institutions that cater for all post-matric students.
“We reiterate our position on access to quality education both in the basic and higher education sectors. remember Lejweleputswa is one of the disadvantaged regions so far as the higher education space is concerned. We have only two institutions of higher learning, goldfields TVET college with two campuses and cut with one campus in Welkom.”
ANC Interim Provincial Committee chairperson Mxolisi Dukwana says they are satisfied that correct processes were followed in the build-up to the youth league regional conference.
Dukwana says it will be important for all regions to follow suit as the province prepares for its elective conference.
“The whole country is crying for ethical leadership, it is crying for leadership that has vision and it is crying for leadership that understands its role,” says Dukwana.
The Lejweleputswa ANC youth league says it will support the decisions taken by branches on who the provincial leaders should be when the province goes to the elective conference later this month. – Reporting by Kamogelo Seekoei
