‘We gave a grade 2 dropout a country to lead for 10 years’: ANCYL President takes a swipe at Jacob Zuma

African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Malatji says the ruling party made a ‘big’ mistake when it appointed a ‘grade 2 dropout’ to lead the country for two terms.

Malatji addressed hundreds of supporters at the ANC’s Peter Mokaba Volunteers Rally in Alexandra on Sunday.

The ANCYL leader said the ruling party wasn’t perfect, and would need to apologise to South Africans for its mistakes during the upcoming door-to-door election campaigns.

ALSO READ: ‘Reckless’: ANC youth leader Collen Malatji calls for Zuma’s expulsion

‘English of the ANC’

In what could be construed as reference to former President Jacob Zuma, Malatji said letting him lead the country was the first mistake the ANC made.

“The first mistake we did; we gave a grade 2 dropout a country to lead for ten years,” Malatji said.

“There’s a man in Nkandla, a grade 2 dropout that the ANC taught how to read and write. Today he’s using the English of the ANC to attack the ANC.

“That grade 2 dropout has now gone and taken Mandela’s Umkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation) and made it uMkhonto weSisu (Spear of the stomach).”

Malatji also said the former statesman had recruited corrupt ex-officials of the ANC to join his new political party, so they can enrich themselves.

“They’re using our uMkhonto weSizwe legacy to continue the looting of the movement,” Malatji said.

ALSO READ: WATCH: MK party warns of ‘anarchy and civil war’ if not allowed to contest elections

‘Criminals will take over’

Malatji also urged the youth to participate in the upcoming elections, warning them against voting for other political parties, like the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

“When you don’t vote for the ANC, you’re going to have issues like Tshwane, where there is no water because the the DA led government has given criminals water tankers to go around supplying water at the expense of our people.”

Malatji alleged that the service providers intentionally closed off water supply from reservoirs, so they could continue cashing in.

“It’s clear that when the ANC loses power, criminals will take over,” Malatji said.

ALSO READ: ANCYL leader Collen Malatji slams ‘mickey mouse’ parties formed by ex-ANC members