KZN ANCYL postpone Provincial Congress

THE cash-strapped ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in Kwazulu-natal’s failure to raise about R3.5 million and contesting factions fighting over numbers, led to the last-minute postponement of its 10th provincial congress in the early hours of Friday.

In the build-up to the event that was planned for this weekend, there was much confusion over whether it would get off the ground, until the party issued a statement on Friday, which confirmed the postponement.

Plans are afoot to hold the conference next weekend, although it still remains unclear how the required funds would be raised and which venue will be used. Previously, the conference was scheduled for the first weekend of September, but was pushed to a week later to allow the sitting of an urgent ANCYL National Youth Task Team meeting that happened on the same weekend. Several theories have since surfaced about the anticipated KZN conference not happening this weekend, those include financial difficulties in securing a venue, and factional politics in the ethekwini region.

A party insider, who is set to be a voting delegate at the conference, said despite being given the green light by the National Youth Task Team to hold the conference, the KZN structure could not raise R1m Durban ICC charge, which is minus the cost of food. It also could not afford the approximately R1.5m needed for transportation and accommodation of about 1 400 delegates. Some have speculated that the last-minute postponement had something to do with the tensions between at least three factions that have set their eyes on leading the youth league locally. With the ICC’S rates being out of reach, there were reverberations that the Durban University of Technology, the University of Kwazulu-natal and the Farmers Hall in the Ifp-run Newcastle Local Municipality were considered as possible venues. However, the overwhelming reasons for the postponement were factionalism and gatekeeping within the body that has not had a leadership structure for over a year.

Youth League’s previous chairperson was Kwazi Mshengu and Thanduxolo Sabelo was the secretary. There was also talk that the delay was due to some members of the Provincial Congress Preparatory Committee (PCPC), aligned to the factions, used stalling tactics, because they lacked support.

But this has been denied by Sibonelo Nomvalo, the ANCYL’S KZN spokesperson.

“We condemn such rumours because they are malicious and farfetched. We confirm that the PCPC works as a collective and there are no extreme elements that have a bearing in a working relationship amongst members,” Nomvalo said.

The front-runners for the top two leadership positions are member of the provincial legislature Nqobile Gumede, as chairperson, and Qiniso Ntozakhe Mnguni, the ANCYL Harry Gwala Regional Secretary.

Mnguni is also Deputy Secretary of the ANC main body in the Harry Gwala Region while together with Gumede they have been dubbed Qinqo, an acronym of Mnguni and Gumede’s first names.

The party insider told the Sunday Tribune there were at least three factions gunning for provincial leadership positions, including the Qinqo faction. The second faction is led by ethekwini ANCYL regional secretary Thulisa Ndlela who is vying for the provincial secretary gig and Bhongo Nombekela from the Musa Dladla Region in Richards Bay who is contesting to be provincial chairperson.

Andile Mchunu, known as Gwinya, from the Josiah Gumede Region in Ladysmith, is contesting for the provincial treasurer post. This faction, according to the party insider, is called Thulisa ubhongo ngegwinya.

Another faction that is contesting for leadership positions at the conference is led by ANCYL Task Team convener Sanele Mbambo.