ANC Youth League President Collen Malatji says Minister Gwede Mantashe is just panicking. Picture: Timothy Bernard / African News Agency (ANA)
The claws have come out in what can be described as a political cat fight between Collen Malatji, the leader of the young lions of the ANC Youth League, and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.
Malatji and Mantashe have squared off publicly over the youth league’s demands for 50% youth representation in the ANC’s lists for members of the provincial legislatures and Parliament.
This comes in the backdrop of internal party contestation for positions ahead of the general elections next year.
Mantashe blew the youth league's bubble demand of 50% seats in Parliament, councils, and all offices of power.
"We did not expect from Mantashe, but he is just panicking; his time is up. He has been there for a long time and lost touch with reality; the youth league is here to take over," Malatji said.
Mantashe addressed the party's 2019 manifesto review at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, in the Eastern Cape, over the weekend.
This is the ANC's campaign to strengthen their ploy to retain power in the 2024 elections.
During his address, Mantashe admitted that there was a need for more youth to gel within the mother body and work together but differed with the "youth takeover."
Mantashe, who is also the ANC national chairperson, said they would accommodate the youth in line with ANC policy.
"They know that the youth takeover will not happen; rather, they say generation mix, not takeover. We are the elders, and we are in control," he said.
Malatji publicly called for 50% of those deployed to Parliament and other legislatures to be young people, further stating that councils and other offices were used as retirement villages.
Mantashe, however, crushed the idea and encouraged the youth league to focus on the SRC elections at universities.
"The ANCYL is losing all the campus to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Student Command. I told them you are going to lose all campuses to the EFFSC because you focus on things that are not within your range," he said.
Mantashe said that it should focus on supporting the party as it gears up for the upcoming elections.
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