The much-anticipated African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) national conference, which was initially slated for 27-31 March, has been postponed to May.
This is according to the ANC National Youth Task Team (NYTT), which was mandated by the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) last year to oversee the process towards the conference.
In a statement on Monday, the NYTT cited “delays as it relates to the verification and membership capturing process” as the reason for the postponement.
‘Young people should determine their destiny’
It said while more than 2,000 branches had been verified and some provinces were ready to hold their respective conferences, others were not.
The NYTT said it is therefore giving provinces, regions and branches across the country more time to submit their membership information.
It said, “The ANC NYTT believes the rebuilding process requires an ANCYL which is disciplined, devoid of gate keeping and rampant factionalism.
“We further call on ANC leaders to allow young people to determine their destiny without undue influence from the mother body.”
ANC NYTT internal wrangles
The NYTT has had its own internal wrangling in recent weeks. Its Co-ordinator, Sibongile Besani, resigned in February citing lack of consultation in some processes, including issuance of NYTT statements.
However, the ANC rejected his resignation. He later refused to sign off on ANCYL membership audits, saying the team overseeing the audit was established without his knowledge.
In a letter to ANCYL structures, Besani wrote, “As the NYTT Co-ordinator and custodian of organisational processes, I am unable to allow such a basic process to be undermined.”
In its statement on Monday, the NYTT acknowledged that there had been “deliberate attempts in certain provinces to exclude young people from verifying their membership.”
It added, “The NYTT has reinforced the office of the Co-ordinator with former Presidents and leaders of the Youth League – comrades Lulu Johnson, Malusi Gigaba, Fikile Mbalula, Collen Maine, Dakota Legoete and Nomvula Mokonyane.
The ANCYL was liquidated in 2018. It has had a troubled period since the ANC disbanded its NEC in 2013 following the expulsion of its former President Julius Malema from the party in 2012.