KZN ANC youth league's jockeying for power is 'driven by greed'
KZN ANC youth league leader Sizophila Mkhize, who is also a member of the provincial legislature, has rejected the youth's league call for one of their own to replace an MEC, arguing this will cause instability in the organisation.
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The only ANC youth league member in KwaZulu-Natal legislature Sizophila Mkhize, has rejected the youth league’s call for the removal of an ANC MEC to make way for a youth league member.
Mkhize, at the age 32, is the youngest legislator of the ANC but she has dismissed the league's calls, saying it would destabilise the organisation at a critical time of renewal and rebuilding.
On Sunday, the provincial youth league chairperson Ntokozo Ngcobo called on Jeff Radebe’s provincial task team to remove one ANC MEC and appoint a youth league member instead.
However, Mkhize said she is not supportive of the move which will derail the organisation’s renewal efforts, particularly ahead of the next year's local government elections.
“Yesterday I received a lot of calls from other senior ANC members in the province asking me whether I was still within the youth league age bracket of 35. They said they believed the ANC youth league was touting for me to be the new MEC.
"My response was that I am not supportive of that call and even if the ANC were to recall one MEC I would not accept the position because I don't want to be part of a project to destabilise our movement,” said Mkhize.
One senior member of the party in the province questioned the youth league’s rationale behind the call, saying he believed they were driven by greed, to access state resources for themselves, rather than good intentions.
“No right thinking member of the ANC will call for such a move, given the state of the party. It is unthinkable that while the provincial task team is trying to regain the lost ground and unite the party after the humiliating defeat in the last year’s general election, the youth would take such a decisive stance.
"I think they believe their time to eat has come. The same youth league did not support Mkhize when she was nominated to the legislature so why such a big interest for the elevation of youth?” asked the member.
Meanwhile, the ANC youth league in Umkhanyakude is also piling pressure on the party’s regional leadership under chairperson Simphile Mdaka to make changes in the municipality's leadership to accommodate youth. The ANC youth league regional secretary Makhosonke Maphanga said the youth want the deputy mayor’s position or any senior position of influence which will allow for changes in youth empowerment.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za