THE African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) will, in the next two months, host their national congress. However, division is rife among Kokstad sub-regional members in the lead-up to the event.
Last Sunday, two separate events were held in Kokstad by members of the youth league. Reggie Nkabinde followers attended the first meeting while the other was attended by Thanduxolo Sabela allies.
At Esayidi Technical Vocational Education and Training (Tvet) College, members of the party held an Albertina Sisulu memorial lecture and vowed to support Nkabinde as the next youth league leader at the congress. At the same time, other members of the party held a cadres forum at Shayamoya Community Hall where Sabela received immense support.
The former deputy president of Congress of South African Students Organisation (Cosas) Manqoba Shabane, ANCYL National Executive Committee member Mkhuseli Mlengane and Harry Gwala regional members — led by deputy chairperson Xolile Jona and deputy secretary Bubele Nogcantsi — attended the memorial lecture event.
At the event, speakers also launched a campaign in support of Nkabinde to be elected as leader of the youth league.
“The Kokstad sub-region will stage and participate in a number of programmes building up to the national congress to further push for more branches to support its view to have Nkabinde as president and we encourage all branches and sub-regions to do the same. The time of fearing of political isolation or victimisation is over, it is time to reclaim the league to advance the issues of young people and rally behind the ANC.
Nkabinde is the man to lead us towards that right direction,” said Khanya Mzaza, the secretary of ANCYL Kokstad sub-region.
According to ANCYL Kokstad sub-regional chairperson Simphiwe Sithaba, the event that was held at Esayidi Tvet College was not authorised by the Kokstad sub-region and is regarded as illegal. He said members who hosted the event did so with the aim of sabotaging their event.
“ANCYL Kokstad sub-region expressed their dissatisfaction about the members who organised the memorial lecture and violated the constitution of the youth league,” he said, adding that the interests of young people must be priority number one to members of the youth league.
ANCYL OR Tambo branch secretary Vuyisani Seroka said the cadres forum held a discussion about supporting Sabela as the next ANCYL leader.
He said the decision to support Sabela was taken by ANCYL Harry Gwala Region and everyone must support the decision.
The forum was attended by ANCYL National Executive Committee member Joy Maimela, ANCYL Harry Gwala Regional chairperson Zwakele Mngonyama and Greater Kokstad Municipality mayor Bheki Mtolo.