EC ANCYL takes swipe at Blade

Provincial task team calls for minister’s head over Fees fiasco

THE Eastern Cape ANC Youth League has called for the head of Education Minister Blade Nzimande, if Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini is fired over the grants crisis.

The ANCYL’s provincial task team (PTT) said yesterday at Calata House in King William’s Town that calls for Dlamini’s head were political, and chastised the SACP for joining the chorus.

PTT leader Mziwonke Ndabeni said should Dlamini be fired – as the SACP in KwaZulu-Natal had recently urged – President Jacob Zuma should also sack Nzimande for the fees fiasco engulfing his portfolio.

He believes the SACP is pursuing Dlamini – not for the social grants fiasco, but for political reasons since she is also president of the ANC Women’s League, which has thrown its weight behind Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to ascend to the ANC presidency in December.

Ndabeni said the Department of Higher Education and Training, led by Nzimande – who is also the SACP’s national leader – had problems of its own.

“There is a crisis in higher education, as we all know, but nobody has said Blade Nzimande must resign. Therefore we view calls for comrade Bathabile Dlamini as an attack on the ANC Women’s League … and the position they are pushing of a female president [come ANC national elective conference in December].”

Ndabeni added that calls by the SACP for Dlamini’s head were “opportunistic” because the social grants crisis concerned “administrative function”.

The PTT also condemned the league’s Dr WB Rubusana regional task team (RTT) for announcing its leadership preferences ahead of the mother body’s provincial elective conference.

Ndabeni yesterday said the RTT was out of order for speaking on provincial matters as that territory was reserved for the PTT.

RTT convener Ayanda Matiti had earlier this month said they wanted Ndabeni to succeed incumbent ANC provincial secretary Lubabalo Mabuyane at the July conference and for SACP leader Xolile Nqatha to be included in the ANC provincial top five.

Ndabeni said the Dr W B Rubusana RTT should be whipped into line for their pronouncement, especially for urging that Nqatha’s name be included.

“We also condemn the statement issued by [Dr W B Rubusana] RTT on leadership preference. The PTT believes that the RTT was encroaching on a space that does not belong to them,” said Ndabeni during a press briefing at Calata House in King William’s Town yesterday.

Ndabeni, who was accompanied by other members of the PTT, believes ANCYL leadership preferences on the provincial leadership race should be publicly communicated only by the PTT.

To this end, Ndabeni said, the PTT was firm on incumbent party provincial chairman Phumulo Masualle, his deputy Sakhumzi Somyo and treasurer Thandiswa Marawu all retaining their positions. They say throwing their weight behind this trio is an attempt to avoid two centres of power – one in the provincial government and one in the party. —