Youth league disrupts memorial
THE ANC Youth League disrupted a memorial service for struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada in Durban yesterday, booing former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, the main speaker, and the ruling party’s treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize.
The drama that unfolded has been described by analysts as an indicator of the levels of division the ANC is battling following President Jacob Zuma’s controversial cabinet reshuffle.
The memorial service was held at the Sastri College Hall, where Gordhan wrote his matric 50 years ago.
Both Gordhan and Mkhize, who are also ANC national executive committee members, were drowned out by ANCYL members who erupted into the song Awusitshele uZuma wenzeni (Please tell us what Zuma has done), in an apparent reference to their criticism of the reshuffle.
Gordhan was singled out for calling for mass mobilisation against Zuma’s cabinet reshuffle during Kathrada’s official memorial service.
KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairman and Economic Development MEC Sihle Zikalala had to intervene twice to try to calm the situation when Gordhan was drowned out by ANCYL members while speaking.
Even ANCYL provincial chairman Thanduxolo Sabelo could not control the rowdy league members, who also disrupted Mkhize when he was given an opportunity to speak.
Gordhan seemed to have angered the ANCYL members when he told the audience that “unity can’t be based on money, unity can’t be based on these brown bags that are moving around”.
He said: “If we can’t unite among ourselves, there is no hope for 2019. Stop corruption that erodes our economy. Let’s work together so we can build a future.”
Mkhize said the ANC had been concerned about the growing tension in the build-up to the memorial service.
“What we do today must not be allowed to erode the support base of the ANC.
“We are still the ANC even if we differ in our views. We’re dealing with the issues that have caused the differences among yourselves,” he said.
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation executive director Neeshan Balton said he was disappointed over the disruption. “I had as-
sumed that many members of the youth league had come here to pay tribute to Uncle Kathy, at least that’s what they said publicly.
“Certainly, their behaviour did not reflect that,” Balton said.
“Their behaviour was one of extreme intolerance. And it seems there is no respect for divergent views.
“The only view they will respect is one that is consistent with their own – and that’s not democracy.”
On Saturday, the Active Citizens Group applied for an interdict against the youth league to stop them from disrupting the memorial service.
The judge ruled that youth league members were allowed to attend, but had to behave.
Zikalala said the behaviour of some league members was not acceptable and would be dealt with by the ANC
“We condemn what happened. It is important to inculcate a culture of political tolerance,” he said.
“It is a lesson that if we have differences, let’s take those differences away from a platform of this nature.”
Sabelo said the incident would be investigated and those found responsible would be dealt with. However, while condemning the disruption, Sabelo blamed Gordhan for inciting the ANCYL with his statement on “money in the brown bags”.
He said the ANCYL had done everything to comply with Friday’s court order interdicting the league from disrupting the memorial.
Professor Susan Booysen, of the Wits School of Governance, said the treatment of Gordhan and Mkhize at the memorial service was a “declaration of war”.
“It speaks to the divisions, factions and wars within the ANC and it is further testimony of that part of the ANC that has taken a decision to occupy the spaces where the dissidents or rebels [anti-Zuma faction] have been maintaining higher ground,” she said.
“We have seen much of that in the past two days as well and this is a continuation of that.
“It’s an internal declaration of war and determination not to cede that space and not to concede that the rebels really have by far the moral higher ground.”
Booysen said that if there was a further split in the factions, the ANC could not survive electorally.