Deep factional divides within the ANC Youth League in Nelson Mandela Bay played out at the weekend when two groups convened separate conferences on Friday.
One faction convened its regional conference at City Hall, attended by fewer than 100 delegates, while the second group held its conference at the Royalston Lakehouse on the outskirts of Gqeberha.
The conference at the Lakehouse, described as the legitimate conference, was attended and supported by ANCYL secretary-general Mntuwoxolo Ngudle, Eastern Cape provincial secretary Francisco Dyantyi and ANCYL national executive committee member Lufefe Mkutu.
The conferences were marred by accusations that the league had been hijacked for ANC regional factional battles as the mother body heads for its conference in February.
At City Hall, Luzuko Peter was elected as chair alongside Tabiso Mosia Latola (deputy chair), Zithobile Vaaltein (secretary), Lonwabo Siramza (deputy secretary) and Zandile Nhando (treasurer).
At the Lakehouse, Sandiso Makwethu was elected chair, Siyanda Kate as his deputy, Yandisa Jubase as secretary, Talente Malindi as deputy secretary and Lindokuhle Sitshaka as treasurer.
Meanwhile, Dyantyi said the ANCYL in the province would initiate disciplinary proceedings against those involved in the “sham” conference at City Hall.
“Those are people who just want to make chaos ahead of the ANC conferences next year,” he said.
Peter said: “There is nothing about supporting comrade [Sabelo] Nkuhlu in the constitution of the ANC Youth League so we had to register as branches that we rejected that thing [conference] that was happening somewhere supported by the secretary-general [Ngudle].”
ANC chair in the region, Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe, is expected to run for re-election.
She is set to face off against regional secretary Luyolo Nqakula, who has stepped aside pending the outcome of a court case, and Nkuhlu.
Peter alleged that support for Nkuhlu at the upcoming conference had become the criteria for appointment into the regional task team.
The ANCYL in the Bay was disbanded in 2023 due to its dysfunctional leadership being embroiled in factional battles, and an interim task team was appointed.
“[The] ANCYL is being used as a vehicle to fight political squabbles and topple the current leadership that we have [in the region].
“The event [Lakehouse conference] proves a certain task team was reconfigured and that the criteria was ... that we need to support the name of Nkuhlu because we need to take over [ANC regional office] Florence Matomela [House].”
In July, the ANCYL provincial executive committee reconfigured the RTT, which had been appointed after the disbandment in 2023.
When asked about the PEC recognition, Peter said they would write to contest the weekend’s proceedings.
“We had 84 delegates as part of the conference, two representatives per branch, which meant we met the 70% threshold.
“Because they [Lakehouse conference] had the infrastructure in their support, the PEC and even the secretary-general, we were left like children with no parents,” Peter said.
Responding to Peter’s accusations, Makwethu did not shy away from the league’s support of Nkuhlu.
“The [league] has resolved, and this is a long-standing agenda, that it will rally behind former youth leaders,” Makwethu said.
“Mr Nkuhlu is a former [youth league] provincial secretary in the province and the former provincial chair of Cosas (Congress of SA Students).
“He is a senior in this generation that is supposed to take us forward.
“Politics of the youth league are back now — the joke that has been happening has ended.
“The league is an autonomous body within the ANC [and] resolved at its national conference it will prioritise our senior leaders so we can move towards a generational mix.
“As the youth league of this region, we made an evaluation and we said you cannot have an ANC that could not perform in the last local and national elections.
“We could not [achieve] 50% support, hence we are now in a government of local unity under this leadership,” Makwethu said.
Nkuhlu declined to comment on the matter.
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