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Johannesburg – The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) formally announced on Tuesday that it would lobby for former AU commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to be the country’s next president.
“There is nothing special about Cyril [Ramaphosa]. We respect him, however, the view is that mama Nkosazana must be president,” ANCYL president Collen Maine told reporters in Johannesburg.
Following its national executive committee (NEC) meeting, the league announced it would support David Mabuza to become ANC deputy president at the party’s elective conference in December.
It would back Ace Magashule for secretary general, Nathi Mthethwa for national chairperson, Jessie Duarte for deputy secretary for monitoring and evaluation, Fikile Mbalula for deputy secretary for organising and campaigns, and Maite Nkoana-Mashabane for treasurer general.
"These are leadership propositions of the ANCYL and we do not refer to them as slates," secretary general Njabulo Nzuza said.
"There was one-and-a-half-years’ worth of thought put into this. These names are informed by the NEC and regional leaders."
Nzuza said attacks on President Jacob Zuma were intended to create an image of a failed ANC. This had achieved nothing but destruction in the country.
"If that narrative continues through media, it becomes true."
The league said it did not discuss the contents of emails leaked from the Gupta family during its meeting because it did not talk about "rumours".
"Those emails are not innocent. They are driving a particular agenda and narrative that seeks to unseat the ANC from power," ANCYL deputy secretary general Thandi Moraka said.
"We are not a banana republic. We have processes with dealing with criminal activities in this country, so whoever who has evidence against Collen Maine and whoever in government, they are free to go and approach law enforcement agencies and state their case."
The league said it wanted the ANC, in its policy discussion documents, to urgently deal with the expropriation of land without compensation, free and quality education, ways to improve public health care, and the establishment of a state bank.
It said the bloated NEC of more than 80 should be decreased to 60 members. It wanted two deputy secretary general positions and 40% youth representation and local, provincial, and national government and in the corporate sector.
