ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malatji has come out in support of under fire Gauteng ANC chairperson Panyaza Lesufi, saying he was right to confront Helen Zille as she “speaks like she controls the ANC”.
In an interview with on Tuesday, Malatji said he too would call out the Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chairperson (Zille) for her conduct pertaining to issues affecting the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Last week, Lesufi told Zille to behave herself in the GNU, saying she would not dictate terms to the ANC.
This is after Zille accused Lesufi of running Gauteng as he pleased and not following the national office’s orders.
The Gauteng ANC leadership, led by Lesufi, failed to come to common ground to form a Government of Provincial Unity with the DA after the May elections.
The DA were offered three seats in the executive, while the ANC retained seven seats plus Premier, despite getting 34.55% of the vote in the Gauteng province for the May 29 elections.
“Lesufi was not wrong to call out Helen Zille because she is not a member of the ANC. I would do the same because we don’t want Zille who always tweets and speaks like she controls the ANC,” said Malatji.
On Monday, Lesufi was summoned to Luthuli House to address his critical remarks about the GNU.
But the ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula’s attempts to discipline him backfired as the intense meeting apparently saw the tables turned on Mbalula, who could not answer difficult questions posed by the Gauteng ANC leadership.
Malatji stated that there was nothing wrong with the national leaders summoning Lesufi because “he is a leader and has to account”.
KwaZulu-Natal ANC leaders led by Siboniso Duma and Bheki Mtolo were also called in the meeting for accountability and to report back on organisational matters.
“Whenever the national office feels they misunderstood him, he must appear before them and clarify,” Malatji maintained.
The youth leader said Gauteng is a tough terrain and worse now under the GNU, therefore, leaders should mind what they utter publicly.
“Remember we have lost the elections, that must be reminded, including Lesufi, so if you lose Gauteng, you have lost the country,” he added.
Malatji also disputed Zille’s comment that the GNU was a grand coalition.
“DA is not in a grand coalition with the ANC, it is invited to join the GNU. There’s no Zille or anybody who calls the shots.
“I don’t think he (Lesufi) was called because of Zille, that would be a serious lie. He was called because they need to manage how to deal with metros in Gauteng,” he said.
Malatji said the ANC must come back to assist the metro because the DA had collapsed them and if there was an opportunity for the ANC to retain the Tshwane mayorship, then they must take it.
He said they will not work with anyone, including the DA, who was up in arms to destroy their renewal programme.
“The DA has tried and failed, ActionSA and DA tried and failed. The only people with a good track record is the ANC. The ANC must be given an opportunity to run the city.
“We are the only party with a record to fix Tshwane. The DA has been in Tshwane for more than 10 years, they collapsed the city financially, it is on its knees. It’s only ANC leadership that can resolve the problem,” he claimed.
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