ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has removed Xola Nqola as the convener and member of the youth league ahead of the national conference.
Mbalula wrote to Nqola on Thursday to inform him about his removal from the youth league.
“We hereby inform you that your membership of the ANCYL NYTT, and, by extension, your position as its convenor, are terminated with immediate effect,” he said.
Nqola’s removal comes after he allegedly convened and presided over the league’s conference at Komani, Eastern Cape without approval from the party’s leadership.
It is believed that Nqola misled the National Youth Task Team (NYTT) that the office of the secretary-general gave the go ahead for that conference.
Nqola was appointed three months ago as a convener to convey the long-anticipated elective conference. The conference is scheduled to begin on Friday and will end on Tuesday.
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.
Mbalula said the conference was unauthorised and misled the party.
“Accordingly, we directed in clear and unambiguous terms that the ANCYL Eastern Cape Provincial Conference should not proceed, but rather be scheduled to take place after the ANCYL National Congress,” he said.
The bogus conference saw the likes of Luntu Sokutu being elected as chair, Zikhona Pakade as deputy chair, Bongani Mani as secretary, Athi Daniso as deputy secretary and Unathi Hlathuka as treasurer.
Mbalula, however, expressed concern and disappointment about the conduct of certain leaders of the NYTT.
“Notwithstanding the directive, based on the abovementioned evidence, that the ANCYL Eastern Cape Congress be discontinued, you proceeded to preside over this unauthorised and patently irregular congress. In doing so you involved five other members of the NYTT,” he said.
The secretary-general said he was left with no option but to take the necessary urgent corrective measures to ensure that the mandate given to the ANCYL by the ANC is carried out.
IOL Politics