Delegates participating in the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) 26th national conference are hopeful that some of the resolutions passed over the weekend will benefit the youth.
On Friday afternoon, delegates continued to stream in at the conference venue located at the Unisa Conference Centre in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg.
By 3pm, registration of delegates forged ahead.
While the number of people arriving at the conference was still fairly minimised on day one of the conference, the mood and atmosphere around the registration building was elevated as more ANCYL members from the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape arrived.
Speaking to IOL on the sidelines of registration, Mqondi Duma from the Harry Gwala Region in KwaZulu-Natal said they were excited for the conference and were looking forward to the discussions around policies.
Duma said he, and many others from his region, were not particularly interested in the leadership battles but were more focused on the outcomes of the policies that would liberate them as young people.
“That is why there are no tensions because what unites us is the strength of the oppressed,” he said.
Duma further indicated that they wanted all policy resolutions to speak to economic freedom and “to see policies become a reality“.
“In 2011, the structure came up with the seven uncompromising cardinal pillars for economic freedom, however we now need to fast track that process,” he said.
Duma also encouraged youth across the country to register to vote and prepare themselves for a “fresh and young” new leadership of the ANC.
Another delegate, Khethi Ngwenya from Alberton in Johannesburg, highlighted they were confident that after this weekend, the ANCYL would make a positive difference and strengthen the party’s position in next year’s national election.
“The ANC is still a household name and we want to encourage people to believe in the party and not individuals who have given the party a bad name,” Ngwenya said.
Describing the mood outside the venue, Ngwenya pointed out that everyone was very excited even though the registration was taking a long time.
“Everyone has been patient and there have not been any fights. After seven years, some of us are seeing each other and getting to know new people so it has been an exciting start to the conference.
“We all are working toward the same goal of renewing the ANC and rebranding it. We are saying that it has been seven years since the ANCYL has been out so we are looking forward to a more active and vibrant League who not only challenges the status quo but also the ANC itself. I believe we will be a very independent Youth League,” he said.
On Thursday evening, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula removed Xola Nqola as the convener and member of the youth league ahead of the national conference spurring murmurs that chaos was expected in the days to come.
In the letter, Mbalula said Nqola misled the membership by communicating the false message that he sanctioned the continuation of the congress in the EC.
“This behaviour is unacceptable and amounts to gross ill-discipline and defiance,” he said.
The conference is expected to start later today and conclude on Tuesday,
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
IOL Politics