Row over youth leader

DUAL MEMBERSHIP: EFF, ANC BOTH CLAIM HE IS MEMBER OF THEIR PARTY

Ample proof of Kgaba Bokaba’s secret ‘floor-crossing’.

The mystery of a youth leader with divided loyalties – serving both the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters – has sent tongues wagging in the North West’s Madibeng sub-region and at Brits, the home-town of the double-crosser.

Kgaba Zebulon Bokaba is the co-ordinator of the ANC Youth League Madibeng sub-regional interim task team, and at the same time is a card-carrying member of the EFF in good standing. As co-ordinator he is in charge of all ANC Youth league branches in Madibeng despite also being loyal to the EFF, from which he had not resigned.

Sources within the EFF confirmed that Bokaba had received a new EFF membership card, which was printed and given to him recently. But ANC members said he was elected into the ANCYL subregional interim structure in late February.

He was elected along with fellow committee members Thabo Belle who is convener and Kamogelo Maluleke, a fundraiser and 12 additional members last month.

Bokaba did not respond to calls for him to explain his dual membership of the EFF and the ANC. But members from both organisations were concerned about his divided loyalties.

The Citizen is in possession of a copy of his ANC membership card, which expired in July last year, with his identity number on it.

A party source who preferred not to be named confirmed Bokaba subsequently renewed his membership.

“He is our member, his membership is valid because it was issued recently. If he is in the ANC Youth League at the same time, we don’t know what is happening with him, but he is our member. He has been an EFF member for a long time,” the source said.

EFF provincial secretary Papiki Babaile first denied knowing Bokaba, but when shown the membership card he changed tune to confirm Bokaba’s membership but insisted it expired last year.

“As far as our records in the office are concerned, this person has [yet] to renew his membership with the EFF – unless he filled in a renewal form and he didn't submit it to our office,” Babaile said.

When told of further proof Babaile said: “It might be that he joined in 2013, and when we printed cards in 2019/2020, his card was also printed.”