The ANC Youth League’s top brass, president Collen Malatji and secretary-general Mntuwoxolo Ngundle, have suspended one another in a power struggle for structure’s soul, which is intensifying just weeks before an elective congress.
Earlier on Friday, News24 reported seeing a letter, signed by Ngundle, and addressed to the structures’ rank and file, informing them of Malatji’s suspension, which was endorsed by a faction in the national executive committee.
The factionalism in the ANCYL intensified after Malatji announced, during the youth league’s national general council in Kimberley in September, that he was pushing secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to ratify an early elective conference.
Mbalula obliged and the conference is set to take place in December.
Malatji’s suspension by the structure’s NEC comes after News24 reported about tensions between Malatji and Ngudle.
The suspension is rooted in claims that Malatji “unilaterally convened a parallel meeting” and “misled all our structures” in terms of his role as president, according to the letter.
The said meeting allegedly excluded Ngudle and treasurer-general Zwelo Masilela in preparations for the 27th national congress to be held in Limpopo in December.
News24 also understands from sources that Malatji has also suspended Ngudle, and that the two suspensions led to Luthuli House calling an urgent meeting to sit down with the warring factions.