The fractured ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Eastern Cape, after two years without an elected structure, must have a new provincial executive committee no later than September 2.
This is according to the Youth League in Luthuli House which has adopted and circulated guidelines towards the League’s National Conference set for September 6-11.
ANCYL provincial task team (PTT) coordinator Ntombikayise Mnyen- geza yesterday said she was confident they would beat the deadline.
The province should be ready to go to conference not later than the second weekend of July and already there is intense lobbying throughout the various branches for the position of provincial chairman.
Among names bandied about are those of Buffalo City executive mayor Xola Pakati’s spokesman Luzuko Buku, Nkoliso Mbaleki, who is deputy regional chair of the Youth League in OR Tambo, Xolani Mgxotheni of Nelson Mandela Bay as well as NEC member Mbasa Saki.
For the second most powerful position of provincial secretary of the Youth League, Makhaya Nonyongo of the Chris Hani region seems to be the lone frontrunner at this stage.
Mnyengeza said she was positive the provincial conference would sit successfully as the bulk of the regions were ready, with the exception of three that have yet to sit for their regional conferences.
The ANCYL NEC in its recent meeting gave the nod to three recently-elected regional executive committees of Joe Gqabi, Chris Hani and Dr WB Rubusana regions.
Delaying the sitting of the provincial conference are the Amathole, Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman regions. Mnyengeza said Amathole and Nelson Mandela Bay were ready to go to conference.
The big headache, she said, was Sarah Baartman which was struggling to meet the 70% threshold because there are “no adequate branches”.
“We are assisting the region as we understand their challenge of being a vast and largely farming area hence they are struggling with membership.” — zingisam@dispatch.co.za