Malatji says the ANC’s veterans league is the only structure of the party that reflects all races.
ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malji says he would like to see more diversity in the party.
He was addressing youth league members in the Eastern Cape over the weekend.
Malatji said the ANC has to live up to its non-racial character by ensuring that all races are represented in the ANCYL.
“I am seated here, and I do not see the proper spreading of the demographics of this country. I do not see white people here. I do not see coloureds here. I do not see Indians,” he said.
ANC demographics
Malatji said it is essential for all races to be represented in the ANCYL, as it produces future leaders of the ANC.
“The ANC has a nonracial character and that nonracial character must reflect in the preparatory school of the ANC, because if it does not reflect here, it will not reflect in the mother body. The youth league is where we must prepare leaders of the mother body,” he said.
Malatji said the youth league should avoid looking like an exclusively black organisation.
“If here we are a mini-PAC, then we have a problem. Even when we recruit, we must be deliberate in recruiting everyone from all corners of this country, whether you are black or white, you must be in the ANC,” he said.
ANC unity and succession
Malatji said the Youth League is the ANC’s hope of surviving the current political landscape and needs to be united.
According to Malatji, one way to ensure his is to avoid contestation at the party’s next elective conference in 2027.
“Where we are at this stage, the ANC can no longer afford a contested national conference; the ANC cannot afford any other breakaway. The leadership of the ANC in 2027 must be elected on consensus,” he said.
Malatji said the ANC should spend time at its elective conference discussing policy direction and not succession battles.
“Delegates who are young and will be sent to that conference will not spend time singing about individuals, they will spend time on how to build and work on resolutions that can take the ANC back to become the organisation of the people again,” he said.
The ANC’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, has appealed to all party members not to start conversations on who will lead the ANC after Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Malatji has made headlines for a different reason recently, after he described KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as a pop star for holding a press briefing where he revealed serious allegations against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
He was slammed for his comment, in what he described as “burning in the fire” without anyone to defend him.
“I was looking at the regions of the youth league, but I could see everyone has run away. They said President, we did not send you to say that,” he said.
Malatji said he believes that he came under fire for that comment because the ANC is associated with criminals.
“Even when you say the right thing, that commissioners must arrest criminals, they must not call press briefings.
“Because your integrity is in question, society says he is sent that one to protect criminals,” he said.
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