ANCYL PONDERS RENEWAL

Castro Thabana, who has served in all alliance youth structures, is the leading contender to take over the Free State ANCYL and resuscitate its dysfunctional structures

Suspended ANC Youth League (ANCYL) provincial executive committee (PEC) member, Castro Thabana, is expected to make a dramatic return to the League’s leadership structures and take over as the provincial chairperson.

The League is expected to hold its provincial elective conference before the end of April. The current leadership was elected in May 2010.

Thabana, who was suspended by the current ANCYL leadership for refusing to support its anti-premier Ace Magashule and president Jacob Zuma stance, has been touted as a the “most experienced and capable cadre” to rejuvenate the moribund League structures in the province.

The affable Thabana, who has served in all the youth structures of the ANC in the province, is by far the most experienced candidate to lead the ANCYL in the province.

The dysfunctional ANCYL in the province has been paralysed by factional battles, purging of senior provincial and regional leaders and disbandment of regional structures.

The current league provincial chairperson, Khotso Morapela and secretary, Lebogang Mogoera, openly attacked the ANC leadership led by Magashule. The two openly associated themselves with an ill-fated crusade by the divisive Regime Change wet blankets to unseat Magashule and his PEC.

These party poopers accused the premier of failing to prioritise youth development issues and of being a dictator.

They suspended senior league leaders for backing Zuma and Magashule ahead of the ANC provincial and national elective conferences of the ANC last year, and for openly defying the League’s position to support deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe for the presidency of the ANC.

Thabana, along with four other ANCYL PEC members, namely, David Mohale, Nhlanhla Xaba, Nehlo Makhubo and Phindile Motha, were also charged with ill-discipline and factionalism by the League’s current PEC last year.
However, the League’s national working committee (NWC) is reviewing the decision, following its visit to the province to assess the state of readiness for the provincial conference.

The Weekly understands that moves are afoot to reinstate the five members and reverse the decision taken by Morapela and Mogoera to disband the Fezile Dabi and Motheo ANCYL regional executive committees.
The matter has been discussed by the national executive committee (NEC) and a communiqué to the PEC regarding decisions taken is expected soon.

A senior ANCYL leader told The Weekly, this week that Morapela had failed, both in his capacity as the league’s leader and chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) provincial advisory board, to address challenges facing the youth.

He accused the embattled Morapela of focusing his energies on his “obsession with ANC leadership battles”.

“Morapela failed dismally to address challenges faced by young people in the province and has instead developed an obsession with removing the leadership of Ace Magashule. He allowed himself to be abused by Regime Change leaders who promised him positions and money. He forgot his responsibilities as a leader of the ANCYL and the NYDA. He has poisoned and divided the League in the province; so he must go.”

The Weekly can reveal that support for Thabana to take over the league is gaining momentum within the league structures in the province.

ANCYL regional leaders have endorsed Thabana’s candidacy for the position. They stressed, however, that the nomination process has not yet started.

Thabo Mofutsanyana regional chairperson of the League, Mohwabadi Motloung, described Thabana as a strong candidate to take the League in the province forward and foster discipline and unity.

“He has a full understanding of the organisation and does not shy to engage comrades in good organisational debates and show them the right way of doing things. He was part of the current PEC and was suspended for openly standing against factionalism within the league. He knows and understands the organisation’s procedures and traditions and will use that to his advantage.”

Although Motheo regional chairperson, Ncamile Nxangisa was non-committal about the issue, he believed Thabana had a right to contest any position in the league.

“Since we haven’t engaged in any formal discussion, my personal view is that I will be happy seeing changes in the provincial leadership,” he said.

The chairperson of the Lejweleputswa region, Pule Maile, said the League in the region will only pronounce itself on the provincial leadership after the regional general council. He said the regional leadership will take the mandate from its branches on who to nominate for the League’s top positions.

Thabana, who is regarded as a rising political star, is recognised as having the requisite skills and organisational experience to lead the League in the province. He has served as the provincial chairperson of Cosas and subsequently became a PEC member of Sasco. In 2003, he became the provincial chairperson of Sasco and later became the treasurer of the Young Communist League (YCL) in the province.

He is expected to focus the work of the League on issues affecting young people such as education, unemployment and HIV-Aids.

“Under comrade Thabana’s leadership, the youth league is expected to enforce discipline and respect for the leadership of the ANC, as well as its organisational culture and tradition. He will forge a close relationship between the ANC and alliance structures within the province. He is a highly intelligent comrade who grew up within the movement,” said a senior ANCYL leader in the province.

Meanwhile, ANCYL regions have also declared their support for national acting president of the ANCYL, Ronald Lamola, to be elected as substantive president at its national general council to be held later this year.
They credited Lamola with demonstrating that he supported the ANC and not individuals; a reference to expelled ANCYL president, Julius Malema.

This comes after reports emerged over the weekend that Lamola and senior league leaders visited Zuma at his Nkandla residence over the festive holidays, to apologise for the league’s behaviour towards the president and also to pledge their respect for the ANC leadership.

Nxangisa said Lamola has proved that he can be a good leader.

“We were under the impression that he was supporting the expelled erstwhile president, Julius Malema, who disrespected the ANC and its president Jacob Zuma. But we learned later that he was only complying with the decision of the collective. He supports the movement and not an individual with narrow interests within the League.”

In January this year, ANCYL spokeswoman Khusela Sangoni-Khawe, said the League’s regional and provincial congresses should be concluded by late March or early April to pave the way for the national general council.