No 'premier league' in ANC - Maine

Mbombela - ANC Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Maine has rejected reports that there is a so-called "premier league" that seeks to control the governing party.

Maine took time to "clear the air" about the rumuors of the "premier league" while addressing journalists in Mbombela on Tuesday afternoon.

"Now let us clarify that there is no league called Premier in the ANC. The last congress of the ANC approved three leagues, which include the Youth League, the Women's League (ANCWL) and the Veteran's League. So this thing called premier league is a concoction by people who want to contest and hijack the ANC," he said.

Maine was speaking ahead of the provincial ANC congress, where new office bearers were expected to be elected and some of the old ones retained.

He said those who created the premier league rumours had actually failed to have their way during the ANCWL national congress this year, where Bathabile Dlamini was elected chairperson.

"They will continue talking about the premier league because they failed to capture the women's league and the youth league. We were also told that the outcome of the KwaZulu-Natal congress is part of the premier league. Branches of the ANC will not be fooled and be bought; they will vote for what they want.

"Comrade Sihle Zikalala is not a premier. He can't be called the so-called premier league. That concoction is not there... There is nothing called premier league. We, the ANCYL, are the last line to defend the ANC. We will do anything in our power to defend the ANC from people who want to hijack it externally and internally," said Maine.

Maine added that this weekend Mpumalanga ANC branches would decide whether to endorse Premier David "DD" Mabuza's reelection as ANC provincial chair.

"We have said in the NEC (national executive committee) that we support what our province supports. The PEC (provincial executive committee) of the Youth League has not briefed me in terms of what they support, but I can't come here and support something else. What they support, we support," said Maine.

Maine's deputy and provincial ANCYL chairperson Desmond Moela said the branches of the ANCYL in Mpumalanga would support Mabuza's re-election.

"The PGC (provincial general council) of the ANC in Mpumalanga resolved that come this provincial conference that is taking place on Friday, the branches of the ANC... will be supporting the chairperson of the ANC, Comrade DD Mabuza. This is also in line [with the decisions] of the branches of the ANCYL," said Moela.

"In supporting DD, it is not just a blank cheque. We are supporting DD because he understands that it is important for ANCYL and young people in general in the province to benefit from the [province's economy]."

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.