Youth league calls for Zuma defence

THE national ANC Youth League has fired a salvo at anyone and everyone it perceives to be unhappy with President Jacob Zuma’s leadership, while calling for a staunch defence of the president until he completes his term in 2019.

The league’s deputy president Desmond Moela lashed out at former public protector Thuli Mandonsela, and called for her to “get a boyfriend to keep her busy” and forget about the office of the public protector. He accused Madonsela of continuing to make comments about issues concerning her former work.

Moela was delivering closing remarks yesterday at the end of the three-day elective conference of the league’s eThekwini region held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Howard College campus.

He took a swipe at ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu, saying he made statements, “after consuming Jack Daniel’s whiskey”. Moela called for Mthembu to resign from the ANC executive committee instead of lobbying others to do so.

Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan was not spared as Moela called for him to stop thinking he was god in the government and ANC, and subject himself to justice.

He said for ANC Youth League members to defend Parliament from “anarchist” opposition, they should be given senior positions in the Cabinet.

New ANC youth leaders of the province’s largest region are chairman Thembo Ntuli; his deputy Mfana Gwabe; secretary Thinta Celane; deputy secretary Syabonga Thango; and treasurer Philisiwe Mbatha.