ANC YOUTH BAY FOR GWEDE’S BLOOD
PROMISES TO BACK ZUMA AS PRESIDENT
WHILE the DA snatched power in Nelson Mandela Bay and Mogale City, the ousted ANC has started imploding internally as the fallout over elections deepens.
Yesterday, the ANC Youth League gunned for the party’s secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and leaders in Gauteng in the wake of dismal election results.
This was while they defended President Jacob Zuma, saying he could not be blamed for the party’s dismal performance.
ANCYL secretary-general Njabulo Nzuza blasted Mantashe, and stopped just short of accusing him of suggesting that Zuma must resign.
There have been wide calls for Zuma to step down as his scandals have been blamed for the party’s woes.
Without mentioning who Mantashe said must step down, the league vowed it would defend Zuma from removal.
“We do not support the call made by Gwede Mantashe of people resigning. If he wants to resign, he must do so alone. “There are those who are opportunistic and lack thinking capacity who say the bad performance on the elections is because of President Zuma. Zuma is the president of the ANC and will remain so till the next national conference of the ANC.”
Sowetan has learnt that Mantashe summoned the league to a meeting following its media briefing. When contacted for comment, Mantashe said the ANCYL should be asked to clarify its statement. “Which call,” he asked. The league also called for an early elective conference where young people should be included in the party top six officials.
“The results are also as a result of incapacity of the ANC to adapt and change our organisational design to respond to the needs of society in a speedy manner,” Nzuza said.
ANCYL president Collen Maine called for the recalling of those responsible for the manipulation of candidate lists, especially in Gauteng.
“The ANC must investigate and take decisions on those people because we believe that they also contributed to the current situation and the manner [in which] we have performed.”