Business Day
*Young communists brace for hot contest* *Sibongakonke Shoba, Business Day, Johannesburg, 23 November 2010*THE Young Communist League will next month hold its elective conference in Mafikeng, in North West, where the position of national secretary will be hotly contested.
Buti Manamela looks likely to be re-elected, but his deputy, Khaye Nkwanyana, is expected to challenge his attempt for a third term in the key position. But league sources say the odds are stacked against Mr Nkwanyana as Mr Manamela enjoys considerable support.
The outcome of the leadership contest is likely to give an indication of the leadership of the South African Communist Party (SACP) over the next few years.
A victory for Mr Manamela could bolster the position of SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande when elections for the mother body are held in 2012. The two are close allies and depend on each other's support for their campaigns.
If Mr Manamela were to lose to Mr Nkwanyana, that would suggest that a challenge for Mr Nzimande's position is possible.
Mr Nkwanyana is linked to a group dissatisfied with Mr Nzimande's leadership. They believe the higher education minister is too busy with his role in President Jacob Zuma 's government to pay enough attention to his duties at the SACP.
This group is also not impressed with Mr Manamela's position as an ANC MP. They say he is seldom in his Johannesburg office.
Yesterday, Mr Nkwanyana disassociated himself with the disaffected group, saying it was part of a smear campaign to turn the SACP leadership against him.
The group claimed a number of people on the left were unhappy with the "SACP's absence on issues" caused by Mr Nzimande's deployment to the Cabinet.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions has also criticised the SACP's silence on certain issues, saying its leaders are too involved in the running of the government.
The faction aligned to Mr Nkwanyana accused Mr Manamela's supporters of trying to disqualify branches that did not support him, and of "building spook branches".
Yesterday, Mr Manamela denied there was any tension between his supporters and those of Mr Nkwanyana. "There is peace and tranquility," he said.
He refused to say whether he would stand for re-election, saying the league's structures would decide on that. "I'm not going to be discussing that. The people who are responsible (for nominating candidates) are the structures."
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