ANC Youth League looks to resurrect itself and be heard

The ANC Youth League’s newly appointed National Task Team says the absence of a Youth League structure was detrimental and had resulted in young people losing the opportunity to have a voice in the decision-making processes of the party.

The team was introduced to the media by ANC secretary General Ace Magashule during a media briefing at Luthuli House yesterday.

Led by Nonceba Mhlauli as convener and Joy Maimela as co-ordinator, the new interim team committed itself to reviving the youth league and to avoid making the mistakes that those before them made.

“We want to make sure that the ANCYL does not become a pocket knife for ambitions within the ANC and factional battles within the ANC.

“What we have been fighting for as young people is that the affairs of the youth league must be handled by members of the ANCYL. We are very happy that the ANC NEC has finally agreed that young people in the ANC have a right to self determination by being the people who built their own organisation, not just for themselves but for the ANC and South Africa as well,” Mhlauli said yesterday.

The last elected youth league leadership was disbanded in 2019. The league had failed to go to conference after the term of former league president Collen Maine ended and the elective congress was pushed to this year.

Mhlauli, who was part of a breakaway wing, said they were determined to rebuild the party’s youth structure.