ANCYL condemns "political posturing" at funerals
The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) is calling on President Jacob Zuma to continue discharging his duties, including rearranging and strengthening his cabinet.
This comes after continued calls for President Zuma to step down at the funeral of Ahmed Kathrada yesterday.
The ANCYL has condemned comments made at the funeral.
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe received a standing ovation when he quoted a letter by Kathrada calling for the president to step down, SACP leader and Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande hit out at the ANC leadership and chairperson of the Ahmed Kathrada, Neeshan Balton commended Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, saying he remains true to the values and principles that Kathrada would be proud of.
Speculation is rife of an imminent cabinet reshuffle that will see Gordhan removed as Finance Minister.
"The ANCYL condemns in the strongest possible manner the usage of funerals of our stalwarts for political posturing, point-scoring and grandstanding," says the league's Secretary General Njabulo Nzuza.
President Zuma did not attend Kathrada's funeral, saying he respected the wishes of the family not to have him present.
"Washed-up pensioned politicians who are still to recover from Mangaung hangover have found themselves unable to contain their hatred for the President, they even go to the extent of using a funeral to vent out at the movement," says Nzuza.
Nzuza says they are calling on President Zuma to continue discharging his duties unabated.
"From now on the ANCYL will tackle head on anybody that thinks that they can willy-nilly attack the President even using funerals which in African custom have always been sacred, we will one day be forced to physically disrupt those who find comfort in disrespecting the memory of the dead."