Ancyl Limpopo conference outcome to take turn in court

The ruling party and its youth league structures at national and in the province could expect court documents pertaining to a review application following the outcome of this weekend’s African National Congress Youth League (Ancyl) provincial elective conference, which is claimed to have been illegally and secretly convened.
The leadership structure of the Ancyl in Limpopo stands accused of, among others, pushing through the re-election of the Provincial Chairperson ten minutes before Saturday’s midnight deadline to meet the requirements for the age-related cut-off for the position.
The court application is being driven by former Ancyl Deputy Provincial Secretary Jimmy Machaka, whose old position was claimed by Matome Moremi. Vincent Shoba and Che Selane were both re-elected to the positions of Provincial Chairperson and Secretary of the structure, while the newly elected Deputy Provincial Chairperson is More Mokabane and Provincial Treasurer is Rolly Nelwamondo.
Machaka, reportedly to be cited as the only applicant in the court documents on behalf of affected youth league branches in Limpopo, confirmed that he would challenge the outcome of the conference processes on behalf of branches predominantly from Mopani, Vhembe and Capricorn Regions.
Machaka informed Polokwane Observer that the court documents were expected to be served within the next fortnight in a court application seeking the nullification of the outcome and resolutions of the conference. He pointed out that an application had failed on Saturday due to it not being brought before the court timeously.
Machaka claimed that he had learnt of certain comrades silently and illegally convening an elective conference last Thursday and that members were told to go to conference despite them not being delegates or due processes being followed. “What these cadres did is a signature campaign,” he emphasised.
He questioned the fact that a conference was convened in spite of branches not goingto branch general meetings (BGMs) or a 70% threshold being reached as determined by conference guidelines.
Citing the Ancyl Constitution, Machaka stressed that a leader could only occupy the position from the ages of 14 to 35 years. Machaka raised the point that the results of the election of leaders had been announced at 23:50 on Saturday, which afforded Shoba to be re-elected into the position of Provincial Chairperson minutes before celebrating his 36th birthday.
“It has never happened in the history of the youth league before. We are very shocked.”
Machaka was vocal on the reported attendance of the conference by ANC Provincial Secretary Nocks Seabi and his deputy, Makoma Makhurupetje and demanded that they had to account to the ANC why they had attended a bogus gathering. He simultaneously appealed to the ANC to break the silence on what was happening in the Ancyl structures.
Machaka referred to lack of reference to the results of the Ancyl’s provincial elective conference of the weekend in a Tuesday statement issued by Seabi on the outcome of Monday’s ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting.
In conclusion he referred to correspondence on Ancyl Secretary General Njabulo Nzuza not having finalised BGM verification or a final audit report beforehand which would have served as go-ahead for the conference to take place. Nzuza could, however, not be reached for clarification on the matter.
In addition Polokwane Observer received a copy of a letter from an Ancyl branch in the Mopani Region directed at, among others, the Ancyl Secretary General and copied to the Limpopo secretary and the structure’s National Executive Committee (NEC) disputing the outcome of the congress and requiring urgent intervention by the national structure.
The letter, dated Monday, raised similar concerns about Shoba and Moremi being too old to occupy the leadership positions. It was further stated that branches in the province, and particularly in Giyani sub-region, have not been informed of the conference. “This means that branches that attended conference did not meet the quorum and had (a) bogus delegation.”
When approached for a response at the time of going to press, ANC Limpopo Media Liaison Officer Aluwani Netsianda said the statement on the PEC meeting had been issued before a report could be received from the Ancyl provincial leadership on the conference. They still awaited the report and would note the way forward once it has been received, concluded Netsianda. He was hopeful that they would receive it very soon.
Both Selane and Moremi remained unavailable for comment.

Story: YOLANDE NEL
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