The Times
*ANC lays down the law* /Tells youth rivals to heed its call/*Livhuwani Mammburu and Dominic Mahlangu, The Times, Johannesburg, 13 July 2010*
The ANC moved yesterday to stop all court actions threatening the leadership of its youth league and called for internal dialogue.
Yesterday, disgruntled former Limpopo youth league chairman Lehlogonolo Masoga withdrew his court action against the youth league leadership on the advice of the ANC.
Masoga had taken the youth league to court to stop a disciplinary hearing convened after he was accused of misconduct at the league's provincial conference in April.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, the ANC detailed its commitment to resolving the issue.
"The ANC leadership commits itself to hear both Masoga and the youth league's arguments on their divergence," said ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe .
"It is our belief as the ANC that political disparities resonate well in a political process and a politically motivated solution."
But the youth league has stood its ground and said all disciplinary hearings against those who took the organisation to court will continue.
Youth league spokesman Floyd Shivambu said that disciplinary action against Masoga will continue.
"The ANC Youth League places it on record that the decisions of the [national disciplinary committee] are final, until those found to have violated the [party's] constitution can appeal to the youth league national executive committee, the national general council and the national congress," Shivambu said.
"The national congress, in this instance, is the final arbiter on all internal organisational matters.
"The youth league calls on all members of the organisation to thoroughly understand and internalise internal organisational processes and respect the principles of democratic centralism."
He said those who were "not happy" with youth league internal processes were "free to go and open their own political parties".
The ANC was forced to intervene in the youth league's internal disputes after disgruntled members in Limpopo and Eastern Cape went to court to challenge leadership decisions.
Last week, Eastern Cape's disbanded youth league executive committee withdrew its court challenge after intervention by ANC leaders.
Tempers flared outside court yesterday when supporters of youth league president Julius Malema and Masoga's supporters exchanged words.
Malema's faction was led by the youth league's Gauteng secretary, Thabo Kupa.
Sello Mononela, deputy chairman of the youth league in the Mopani region in Limpopo led the Masoga faction.
Kupa distributed anti-Masoga pamphlets that read "Masoga, we are waiting for your divorce papers", and "Masoga must just go to hell, Lekota is waiting".
As the two factions lashed at each other, the police were called to intervene.
Outside the court, Masoga told his supporters that the case had been withdrawn because of the intervention of ANC leaders.
He lashed out at Malema and Shivambu, and said youth league members would elect their leaders next year, when the organisation holds its elective conference.
"We must reject an agenda that seeks to tell us that, in 2011, in the ANC youth league national conference, there is going to be only one candidate.
"We have never chosen any candidate" Masoga said."When the right time comes to choose a candidate, we do not need permission from anybody, whether they're from a township or a village, from a revolutionary house or from a revolutionary insult.
"We will decide who leads us. We will go to the conference with or without their permission."
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article548963.ece/ANC-lays-down-the-law*
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