WATCH: Collen Malatji says ANC stands for ‘a non-racial society’ amid coalition talks

Collen Malatji, the president of the youth league, African National Congress (ANC) members who do not embrace non-racialism ought to exit the party.

Malatji was speaking to SABC News at the backdrop of coalition talks between the ANC and other political parties.

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But the ANCYL leader commented on remarks made by some party members who were totally opposed to the ANC forming a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA).

“The ANC cannot move away from its non-racial character to accommodate some fallacy that there is some black uniting against white in South Africa we cannot do that,” Malatji said.

‘ANC stands for a non-racial society’

Malatji claimed some of the culprits were ANCYL members, who he said needed to be disciplined.

“We will educate them most of them are young they are mobilised by people who want to influence a direction that is not there.

“But anyone who does not believe in the non-racial character of the ANC must leave the African National Congress,” he said.

Despite emerging from the 2024 national and provincial elections with a reduced majority, Malatji said the ANC will not deviate from its values and societal mission.

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“The ANC stands for a non-racial society. The ANC would rather go out of power if it has to go out of its values and founding principles.”

Malatji said going into a coalition arrangement with the DA would be difficult because of a number of events in which the party had appeared to be racist.

“It might not be easy if DA comes on board to, for our people to fully accept it because of their conduct in the past. DA has done a lot of scary things that they must apologise for.

“Helen Zille has made a lot of racial comments they have gone as far as burning the South African flag.”

Watch the interview below:

Malatji added that the ANC would have to live with some discomfort if the DA were to be involved in a cogoverning structure with the DA.

“There is some language they are creating that we need to build some blacks only block… that is not what the ANC stands for.”