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Johannesburg – Despite the challenges faced by the ANC’s National Task Team, it was able to deliver a youth league congress.
National task team convener Fikile Mbalula said compounding challenges made the ANC Youth League’s 25th National Congress a unique one.
Presenting a political overview document Mbalula said: "Our enemies said we would tear each other out, they said we would embarrass the ANC and that we wouldn't hold a congress and yet we have seen unity here.
"This is the beginning of a very important period for you as the youth league. You came here and displayed courage, determination and understanding of the politics of the ANC."
Mbalula called the gathering a "bunch of winners".
He said the nature of the challenges faced by the youth league forced the party to reflect.
"We need to look for answers to very difficult questions. We must look back if we are to look forward for clarity."
Mbalula said it was important to forge a way forward.
"The challenges facing the youth league economically and socially are unprecedented. We need to ask ourselves why the recent events that manifested themselves in the manner they did."
'Not a vehicle for self-enrichment'
Mbalula said the national task team should have foreseen the challenges that eventually faced the youth league.
"A mistake that the youth league has made recently is inculcating a cult within its ranks at the expense of a collective.
Mbalula warned the youth against being materialistic.
"The youth league is not a vehicle for self-enrichment in the organisation. You earn R20 000 at Luthuli House and you own mansions and farms, this is not the youth league and its membership.
"Of course, young people must be associated with a good life, but this must not be the face of the organisation."
Mbalula said those that were elected after the congress should not encourage factionalism, but instead unite the youth league.
"Those who lose either by a big or small margin must throw their weight behind those that have won. We are not going to stop anyone from contesting for positions.
"You are allowed to lobby and enjoy the victory of your work."
Mbalula said taking the organisation to court was a "fundamental misunderstanding".
'Expel those rascals and the demagogues'
Referring to a group of North West members who brought an urgent application to prevent the ANCYL congress from going ahead, Mbalula said: "The manipulation of organisational processes and other tendencies must be abolished. Internal democratic processes are supreme.
"We must expel those rascals and the demagogues. We must expel those that undermine internal processes with impunity. We must fire those that thing the court will determine the way forward."
Mbalula told the gathering that not all was doom and gloom: "You have every reason to celebrate as the youth league."
He said the task team was formed to deliver the elections and it had done that.
"We are not formed only for an election, we have a bigger mandate than that. We delivered the congress and it was not easy.
"The ANC will give you all the support you need.
"You might be sitting there upset about some of the challenges, but do not take it to heart because this is not a love project.
"We will come out of this stronger than ever. It is not the first time that the leadership has fiddled with the ANCYL, we have delivered our task and we knew it was going to be tough, we were swimming in muddied waters,” said Mbalula adding that the national task team was confident that the new leader would restore unity in the youth league.
