ANC Youth League gets reprieve over memorial fracas
THE Active Citizens Movement (ACM) has halted its pursuit of legal proceedings against the ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal, pending a meeting between the two parties.
Last week, the ACM threatened to institute contempt of court proceedings against the youth league if it did not apologise for disrupting a memorial service for Ahmed Kathrada.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the ACM demanded that the league issue a public apology for the “unlawful and unacceptable conduct of its members” by no later than 4pm on Saturday.
The league has not apologised. ACM provincial executive member, Ben Madokwe, confirmed that the league had asked for a meeting.
“We are not aware of the agenda of the meeting, hence we cannot pre-empt our way forward regarding the ANC Youth League missing the deadline,” he said.
Madokwe said a decision would be taken following the meeting. The ACM had also demanded that the league identify its members who disrupted the memorial and institute disciplinary proceedings against them.
Mandla Shange, the league’s spokesperson in KZN, said the organisation had not apologised as it did not believe it had acted unlawfully.
“The youth league leadership, which is being compelled to apologise, are the same people who were calling for calm and reprimanding those who were disrupting,” he said.
He added that the league would raise their concerns in the meeting, and hoped the parties would reach an amicable solution.
Shange said the league had not identified any of its members among the disruptors.