Mkhonto weSizwe (MK) party supporters during a rally at Alexandra Stadium on 7 February 2024. Picture: Gallo Images/City Press/Tebogo Letsie
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) has taken a swipe at the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party as tensions persist between the two parties.
The ANCYL held a media briefing on Wednesday regarding the outcomes of the National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings convened last week.
Speaking at the Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg, ANCYL secretary-general, Mntuwoxolo Ngudle criticised the MK, labelling the party as “distractors”.
Ngudle accused the Jacob Zuma-backed party of invoking tribalism.
“We have witnessed the distracters such as the MK party led by a man who almost collapsed our state resuscitating tribal violence in KwaZulu-Natal and as progressives, we must call them to order,” he said on Wednesday.
The ANCYL secretary-general also lambasted the MK party for using a logo that bears a striking resemblance to the emblem of the ruling party’s former military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe, which was disbanded in 1993.
The Citizen has reached out to MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela for comment on this and other allegations made by Ngudle. This article will be updated once a comment is received.
WATCH: ANC not offended by members who leave for MK party – Mbalula
Among the additional allegations is that the MK party was built on “stealing”.
“We cannot avoid the blatant stealing of the intellectual property of the ANC through the so-called leaders of the MK party stealing the name uMkhonto we Sizwe as well as its emblem.
“This was just a reminder of how crooked their leaders were when they were still in the ANC, corruption was at its worst in this country. It comes as no surprise that the formation of their party is marred by theft.
“As the ANC continues to rid itself of corrupt and unscrupulous characters, we must reject everything that is unoriginal, gaslights us and takes us for a ride,” Ngudle continued.
The ANC has been at odds with the MK party since Zuma announced that he would campaign for the newly-established party for this year’s provincial and national elections.
The governing party took its rival to court over the use of the name uMkhonto we Sizwe name and emblem but lost.
Meanwhile, Ngudle announced the ANCYL would march to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) over youth unemployment, which is the party’s “top agenda”.
The secretary-general called on the government to immediately create employment opportunities by investing in re-industrialisation to provide skills to the youth.
“Many of the societal issues we face today such as drug abuse, crime, gangsterism and others are because of young people who are sitting idle at home and have no prospects of being employed.
“It is further a belief of the ANCYL that the private sector needs to take responsibility in attending to this debacle. The ANCYL will soon be marching to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to demand that they contribute to curbing unemployment and funding higher education of deserving students.”
He reiterated the youth league’s call to the ruling party’s leadership to deploy young people in Cabinet and other positions within government.
“The ANCYL has not hidden its call for the youth to occupy ministerial and deputy ministerial positions in the coming new administration.
“The ANCYL further has an interest in the youth occupying senior administration positions within departments and in managerial roles of state-owned entities.”
Ngudle added that it was in South Africa’s best interest to allow young people “to form part of decision-making and transforming this country for continuity”.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
