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Johannesburg – An ANC Youth League (ANCYL) member on Saturday called for the removal of the league's president Collen Maine, claiming he is too old to lead.
Thabo Molamu, speaking on behalf of the youth league ward in Moses Kotane in the North West, said, "That man is old, he is not our president."
Molamu says he has written a letter to ANCYL secretary general Njabulo Nzuzo and the ANC's Gwede Mantashe, challenging Maine's age and that he was not fit to lead the youth league.
"In the letters, we said no one above the age of 35 is allowed to be a member and the leader of the youth league... When he was elected, he claimed to be 34.9-years-old, only to find that he was 36-years-old. We have his details."
This is not the first time that Maine's age had been questioned. According to an eNCA report, during the time of his election, Maine was dubbed "Mr 34.9" over concerns about his age.
Molamu said, "We are calling for the respect of the constitution of the youth league which gives provision that the membership is to be between the ages of 14 and 36."
'Time to raise all our issues'
"It further says that when you are 35 or above, you [cease] to be a member of the youth league, and therefore, you cannot lead a structure when you are not a member of the youth league.
"Collen Maine belongs to an old age home."
Molamu said when some members of the youth league challenged Maine's age, they were told to provide proof.
"When they got elected, we disputed the leadership and we went to court, the judge dismissed our application and said that it was not urgent, the judge denied us the opportunity to argue the merits of our case.
"We believe that this is the right time to raise all of our issues which justified the illegitimacy of these current fraudsters, who claim to leaders of the youth league."
An eNCA report on Saturday said Molamu's letter was also supported by another unnamed youth league leader from Gauteng. They have delivered the letter to Luthuli House.
Maine was not immediately available to comment.
