ANCYL says it has ‘big plans’ for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Maine on Wednesday said the organisation had “big plans” for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, saying they wanted the former African Union (AU) Commission chairperson to share her wisdom within the ruling party.

Speaking at OR Tambo International Airport shortly after Dlamini-Zuma’s arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Maine described Dlamini-Zuma as the “future” and said her political wisdom could not go to waste.

“We know that you are no longer serving there [African Union], you are not going to be loitering around. The ANC Youth League has big plans for you but we cannot tell it to you now,” Maine said.

Dlamini-Zuma, who is largely seen as a frontrunner to succeed Jacob Zuma as the ANC’s next president, arrived in the country after she officially handed over the reins to new chairperson of AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, who is from Chad, on Tuesday.

The ANCYL leader said the ANC structure would announce its candidate for the party’s leadership race at “the right time”.

ANCYL also called on Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to stop contesting for the party’s top job through media platforms, saying it was condemning people making themselves available prior to being nominated by the ANC’s branches.

Dlamini-Zuma has amassed the backing of the ANC Women’s League, some factions of the ANCYL and the so-called “Premier’s League”, who want her to become the party’s first woman president. Her contender, Ramaphosa, has the support of Cosatu, the ANC’s biggest alliance partner.

The ANC Women’s Leagues Meokga Matuba has denied that the league was at the airport to campaign for Dlamini-Zuma.

“We’re not campaigning, we’re waiting for the right time. Off course, you know our decision as the ANCWL and therefore we’re saying to you mama, welcome home,” she said.