Mthethwa :ANCYL ready for elective conference

"We are set to have it," co-ordinator of the national conference preparatory committee and Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa told News24.

"Declarations are underway, it's mainly areas related to auditing branches now, political inductions which are going on and discussions on discussion documents. So it's all systems go."

The conference is set to be held in the last week of June.

 

The ANC disbanded the ANCYL executive in 2013 and placed a national task team in place to try rebuild its structures.

It also replaced its provincial structures with provincial task teams.

A conference to elect new leadership was meant to take place last year, but at the last minute the national task team announced that it would be a consultative conference, upsetting some of its members.

 

Mthethwa said eight of the ANCYL provinces had held elective conferences.

 

The only one outstanding was KwaZulu-Natal, which was expected to hold its conference in the first week of June.

He said the national preparatory committee met on Monday and would continue to meet in the run-up to the national conference.

 

Branches had been audited and preliminary reports were being collected.

"Audit has been completed, [we are] actually collecting the package now from the audit," Mthethwa said.

 

'This is not last of the meetings before congress'

He said a dispute resolution committee at national level had been established just in case there were any disputes.

"The preparations continue... Whatever needs to be prepared at a national level we are doing that. This is not last of the meetings before congress."

The ANCYL structures are set to start nominating their candidates for leadership positions in the new league.

Members will start holding branch general meetings, which will then culminate in provincial general councils.

 

In December last year, there were three presidential hopefuls - former ANCYL treasurer Pule Mabe, former deputy president Ronald Lamola and national task team co-ordinator Magasela Mzobe.

 

Mzobe told News24 he would still make himself available for the position.

 

"I don't have a reason why I should not avail myself," he said.

It seems likely that Mabe and Lamola will also avail themselves for the position.

Age issue

However, there had been talk around Mabe's age. The former treasurer general turned 35 in March.

When asked about the age issue Mthethwa said the age bracket for the ANCYL was between the ages of 14 and 35.

"If you are beyond that or if you are before age 14, you won't be eligible to be a member or be nominated.

"If you have passed 35, you fall outside the ANCYL."

Other hopefuls are also said to have made themselves available for the presidential race.

A reliable source told News24 that National Youth Development Agency deputy chairperson Kenny Morolong was also in the run.

Gauteng chairperson Matome Chiloane was also reportedly set to enter the race.

 

Author: News24

NewsWire ID: 4207 

File photo: Gallo images