After much drama, Collen Malatji elected ANCYL president

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Gauteng ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leader Collen Malatji was elected unopposed as the young lions’ president in a drama-filled conference on Saturday evening. 

Malatji was the front runner,  having received tacit endorsements from ANC leaders and backing from most provinces. His slate was dubbed “Economic freedom or death”. 

A little over 2,000 delegates voted for Malatji, while his contender – Aphiwe Mkhangelwa – declined nomination at the last minute. 

Mkhangelwa told the Mail & Guardian that the Chris Hani region from the Eastern Cape was denied entry to the conference as they were refused registration. 

KwaZulu-Natal’s Phumzile Mgcina was elected deputy president, Mntuwoxolo Ngudle as the secretary general, Tsakani Shiviti as deputy secretary general and Zwelo Masilela as the treasurer general. 

The league also amended its constitution to allow for a second deputy secretary general, a position taken by Olga Seate from the Free State. 

In a previous interview with the M&G, Malatji had said that the introduction of another deputy secretary general was a response to a call by female members for more representation.

Like its mother body, the second deputy secretary general will be charged with monitoring and evaluation. 

The league also amended its constitution to allow for elected leaders to stay in their positions for an extra year. Previously, the league was elected for three years. The amendment will mean Malatji gets to lead the structure until 2027. 

Those opposed to the amendment said it was added to ensure that the league is involved in the 2027 ANC election campaign. 

Some league insiders said there was a court case looming as the conference had been marred by irregularity. 

As the league sat for credentials, members of its steering committee wrote to the ANC citing an unfair process. 

The seven ANCYL task team members, a structure that was appointed to ensure the league finally sat for conference after eight years, said that the credentials presented to delegates were not part of their collective work. 

They called into question ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula’s  authority to suspend or remove ANCYL task team convenor Xola Nqola unilaterally, as he was appointed by the national working committee. 

Among some of their complaints were that the numbers on the credential report did not correlate with those on the audit report presented to the task team, and that the electoral committee was not appointed by them. 

The seven disgruntled task team members argued that the conference was convened without the 70% threshold, with some delegates changed without due process.