(ANCYL) is planning a fightback against the so-called "hostile left takeover" of the ANC and has developed a plan to weaken ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe -- who also serves as the chairperson of the South African Communist Party (SACP).
The league is disappointed with the way in which President Jacob Zuma handled the public spat between ANC and SACP members, ANCYL insiders say. The brawling reached a crescendo when delegates at December's SACP special congress in Polokwane booed ANCYL president Julius Malema off the stage.
"Zuma is not leading the organisation as we expected him to," a youth league insider told the Mail & Guardian. "He is not protecting the organisation from the left, because he has debts to pay with them. When he needed support after he was fired, he just accepted help from everyone, and now he is paying for that."
The insider was quick to point out that this did not mean the league wanted to unseat Zuma -- but rather that it wants him to play a decisive leadership role.
Zuma made only vague statements about the unity of the alliance at the ANC's birthday celebrations in Kimberley last weekend, where it was clear that tensions between Malema and the SACP have not been resolved. Master of ceremonies Fikile Mbalula, the deputy police minister, had to ask the rebel SACP attendees to stop singing struggle songs so that the birthday cake could be cut.
He also asked ANC members who received the party's annual awards to put away banners reading "Hands Off Our Youth League President!" while they were on stage receiving trophies.
Given Zuma's perceived lack of decisive action, the league has decided to take matters into its own hands and "take the ANC back". At the same time it will promote Mbalula, its choice for ANC secretary general in 2012.
The plan takes aim at Mantashe, whom league insiders say has divided loyalties because of his dual SACP and ANC roles. "The first step is to weaken him, to make sure that the avenues through which he can build support [are] closed down," said one insider.
At branch level, the ANCYL has already started warning ordinary ANC members of the "rooi gevaar", urging them to ensure that Mantashe is not returned as secretary general.
