News / Africa
ANCYL 'invites' Mbeki to congress
08 Jun 2011 at 08:39hrs | Views
THE ANC Youth League has apparently gone further to embrace former president Thabo Mbeki.
Delegates attending the ANCYL provincial council in Limpopo on Sunday were astonished when Malema praised Mbeki.
Word has come out that the league has invited Mbeki to its national congress next week.
The league was known as Mbeki's arch-rival during his reign. In 2008, Malema was the first leader within the ANC to publicly announce that Mbeki would be recalled, accusing him of having failed to execute the ANC mandate as the president.
The ANCYL's cosying up to Mbeki is seen by many as Malema's way to spite Zuma. Malema was one of Zuma's key supporters during his 2007 ANC leadership tussle with Mbeki.
But relations have since soured between the two, with growing speculations that Malema does not want Zuma to serve a second term.
ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said yesterday that Mbeki's invite was a mere rumour.
"There is a rumour that has been running around for a long time that we have invited former president Thabo Mbeki. It is just a rumour spreading.
"I am a member of the ANC Youth League national working committee and that was never discussed," said Shivambu.
He said they had informed the ANC about the conference and it would be up to the mother body to decide who to send.
"President Jacob Zuma in his capacity as president of the ANC will open the conference. The ANC secretary general will decide ultimately who comes from the ANC," said Shivambu.
An ANCYL member told Sowetan that Mbeki's invitation was discussed outside the formal structures to ensure that the information was not leaked.
"The praising of Mbeki on Sunday was not a coincidence, ground is being prepared just in case TM (Thabo Mbeki) confirms.
"Do not be surprised should you hear Malema say the recalling of Thabo Mbeki was a huge mistake."
Delegates attending the ANCYL provincial council in Limpopo on Sunday were astonished when Malema praised Mbeki.
Word has come out that the league has invited Mbeki to its national congress next week.
The league was known as Mbeki's arch-rival during his reign. In 2008, Malema was the first leader within the ANC to publicly announce that Mbeki would be recalled, accusing him of having failed to execute the ANC mandate as the president.
The ANCYL's cosying up to Mbeki is seen by many as Malema's way to spite Zuma. Malema was one of Zuma's key supporters during his 2007 ANC leadership tussle with Mbeki.
But relations have since soured between the two, with growing speculations that Malema does not want Zuma to serve a second term.
ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said yesterday that Mbeki's invite was a mere rumour.
"I am a member of the ANC Youth League national working committee and that was never discussed," said Shivambu.
He said they had informed the ANC about the conference and it would be up to the mother body to decide who to send.
"President Jacob Zuma in his capacity as president of the ANC will open the conference. The ANC secretary general will decide ultimately who comes from the ANC," said Shivambu.
An ANCYL member told Sowetan that Mbeki's invitation was discussed outside the formal structures to ensure that the information was not leaked.
"The praising of Mbeki on Sunday was not a coincidence, ground is being prepared just in case TM (Thabo Mbeki) confirms.
"Do not be surprised should you hear Malema say the recalling of Thabo Mbeki was a huge mistake."
Source - Sowetanlive
