Factionalism, power hunger and purging have rocked ActionSA Youth Forum.
This as Mpumalanga Provincial campaigns manager, Kuhle Maseko, and its National Youth forum, leader Hluphi Gafane, butt heads over the control and hearts of the organisation.
Maseko accused Gafane of being a tyrant and doing as she pleases running the organisation like a “spaza shop”.
Maseko said Gafane was neglecting the role of mobilising and establishing branches and structures that would enable the party to grow, adding that she was instead focusing on deploying her own people to leadership roles.
“Comrade, we are tasked with leading the youth of this nation, but I must ask: who exactly are we leading? To this day, not a single youth branch has been established across our provinces. Without branches, without grassroots structures, we are left with nothing but the illusion of leadership.
“We are leading ourselves, and to what end? If there are no people following us, if there are no youth believing in our message, then we are simply leading ourselves into oblivion. What cause do we claim to champion if there is no one behind us? This is not leadership; this is a sham,” he exclaimed.
In a penned letter to Gafane, Maseko said the situation was further fuelled by the glaring absence of provincial budget, which according to him, has rendered the structures impotent.
“How can we expect to mobilise and organise effectively without the necessary resources? The lack of consultation in appointments only deepens the disconnect between leadership and the rank-and-file.
“Decisions made in isolation, without the involvement of those on the ground, are not only undemocratic but dangerously out of touch with reality. Comrade, the wave of resignations from Youth Forum structures across the country is a clear sign that our foundation is crumbling.
“These vacancies remain unfilled, leaving us unable to advance our agenda. How can we speak of progress when our structures are hollowed out and our revolutionary energy is dissipating into thin air,” Maseko said in his letter.
He continued to say the youth forum’s failure to address the lack of representation of young people in Parliament and provincial legislatures was a betrayal to the very young people they claimed to represent.
“The fact that we have no youth in our provincial legislature caucuses is an indictment of our leadership. If we do not put our young comrades in positions of power, we are condemning them to perpetual marginalisation. This is not just an oversight — it is a dereliction of duty.
“Comrade, let me be frank: the people will not tolerate this state of affairs for much longer. If we do not change course immediately, the calls for our heads to roll will grow louder.”
Furthermore, he reminded his colleagues that the people’s patience was not infinite, and their trust in the youth forum’s was not guaranteed.
“We must act now, decisively and with conviction, to rectify these failures, or we will face the full wrath of those we have let down.”
When we contacted Gafane, she referred all questions to the youth’s spokesperson Matthew George, who told ‘The Star’ that ActionSA’s constitution was free and accessible resource for all to study, adding that the organisation had formal mechanisms in place to address any complaints.
“Consequently, since Mr Maseko has not lodged any formal complaints, there is no basis upon which I can respond. ActionSA continues to thrive with a dedicated and exceptional cohort of young talent throughout our structures and will continue to celebrate their contributions while nurturing their growth and success,” George emphasised.
The Star
sipho.jack@inl.co.za