Mantashe is a goner, says Malema ANCYL publicly endorses Fikile Mbalula for top job
Feb 1, 2010 10:44 PM | By DOMINIC MAHLANGU ------------------------------ Julius Malema's ANC Youth League made clear its intention to topple the ruling party's secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe, and have him replaced by Deputy Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula. ------------------------------ Current Font Size: ** [image: NO BLACKMAILER: Julius Malema at the ANCYL lekgotla Picture: ELIZABETH SEJAKE] NO BLACKMAILER: Julius Malema at the ANCYL lekgotla Picture: ELIZABETH SEJAKE In song and statements at the conclusion of its three-day national executive committee lekgotla, youth league leaders publicly endorsed Mbalula as their candidate for the third-most powerful position in the ruling party. Though the ANC will not have an elective national conference until December 2012, Malema said yesterday that the league's campaign for Mbalula, who was once its president, will be officially launched at the ANC national general conference in August. The lekgotla was held in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg. Just before Malema spoke at a press conference on the outcomes of the meeting, youth league NEC members broke into old liberation struggle songs that had been modified into pro-Mbalula ditties. "In 2012, in Bloemfontein, we want Mbalula [as secretary-general of the ANC]," went one of the songs. As the group sang and danced, a jovial Malema joined in. He told journalists that the songs in support of Mbalula were justified. "We sing about people who share the same perspective with us. Anybody who has taken a posture and defined himself as against the ANC Youth League, such an individual runs the risk of losing the support of the youth league. "They take decisions to isolate the youth league and attack it. They think they are so powerful they can undermine the youth league. We will demonstrate our power in 2012," Malema warned. His conflict with Mantashe began late last year and is linked to the continuing power struggle between "nationalists" and "leftists" in the ANC-led alliance. Mantashe, who is also national chairman of the SA Communist Party, is seen by Malema and other "nationalists" as one of the leaders of a "communist plot" to "take over" the ANC from within. Though Malema's campaign appears to have the support of a number of ANC leaders who are uneasy about the communists' growing influence in the ruling party, he has recently suffered a number of defeats at the hands of the "left". This includes the recent failed attempt to have the ANC leadership censure Mantashe for not taking strong action against Communist Party delegates who booed Malema at the party's special congress in December. But Malema yesterday said his faction's power would be fully appreciated during the ANC national general conference in Durban in August. "The singing and dancing will tell you what will happen in 2012," he said. He said the youth league will accept only those ANC leaders who agree with its policies - including his call for the nationalisation of the mines. "It's not about personalities, it's about principles." He said the youth league's stance should not be seen as "blackmail". -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
