Malema accused of hijacking Youth League´s provincial conference

Date: 16 April 2010 By: Peter Muthambi

The former chairperson of the ANC Youth League in Limpopo, Lehlogonolo Masoga, says the league has been turned into a tender committee by its president, Julius Malema, whom he accuses of hi-jacking the Limpopo Provincial conference.

This comes after Masoga and his supporters were forcibly removed from the eighth provincial conference of the ANCYL that was held at Makhado Biaba in the Dzanani area, which took place from April 9 to 11.

He is accusing the president of the ANCYL, Julius Malema, of having instructed the police to remove them from the conference hall simply because he (Malema) wanted his preferred candidate, Frans Moswana, to be elected.

Masoga and his supporters were injured by the police, who shot at them with rubber bullets, chasing them away from the conference hall. A number of people were allegedly injured during the riots.

One of the accusations that were made, was that the 65 branches supporting Masoga were disqualified from participating in the conference. Malema apparently favoured Frans Moswana, who was later elected as the provincial chairperson of the league.

Masoga said he could not go on with the conference, simply because Malema was interfering with the proceedings. Malema allegedly insisted that Masoga’s supporters be disqualified and not allowed to make input at the conference, which caused them to embark on protest action. At this stage, the police were instructed to remove them from the inside of the hall.

Masoga’s supporters then burned the T-shirts with Malema’s face on it, singing a song that says “the war has begun.”

Approximately 800 delegates from Limpopo´s five districts, namely Vhembe, Capricorn, Mopani, Waterberg and Sekhukhune, attended the conference. Out of the 800 delegates, only 523 were able to participate during the conference as others were forcibly removed.

Masoga said that the young people of this province would not allow Malema to continue with his alleged tender corruption activities in the province. Malema has recently been accused of benefitting from lucrative tender contracts in the province.

Masoga had to address his supporters while standing at the back of a bakkie. Masoga, who is from Capricorn District, was contesting against Frans Moswane from Sekhukhune District, who is Malema’s ally for the chairpersonship position.

Malema, however, dismissed claims that he had hi-jacked the conference.

“Had Malema not interfered with the proceedings, Masoga would have won the election. This is just the beginning of a war which Malema has started in Limpopo,” said one of Masoga’s supporters.

He said they would never recognise the newly elected leadership of the ANCYL.

 

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Peter Muthambi

Peter Muthambi graduated from the University of Venda with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Studies. He started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror as well as national papers in 2006. He loves investigative journalism and is also a very keen photographer.