Youth agency chair comes under fire

A GROUP dubbing itself the ANC Youth Activists – dissident members of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the Western Cape – have accused the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) chairperson of using the agency’s money to fund his campaign to succeed Collen Maine as the ANCYL president.

ANC youth activist Zosiwe Lizo alleged that Sfiso Mtsweni also used his position in the Southern Cape to influence the process that led to his fiancée being appointed as the regional secretary.

“They use NYDA money to host conferences, for hotels and to transport the delegates,” said Lizo.

Mtsweni denied the allegations of corruption and nepotism.

“That is not true, I did not use any NYDA money. In fact NYDA is broke, it does not have money. I am a member of the national executive committee and I oversee conferences in my region, but I don’t fund them,” said Mtsweni.

He denied using the agency’s money to fund his political campaign, and said he was not guilty of nepotism. “I harbour no interest to be the ANCYL’s presidenr.”

The group has also accused the provincial executive committee, of which Mtsweni is a member, of holding what it termed “illegitimate” regional conferences.

Former ANCYL Western Cape regional task team member Mesuli Kama said the provincial executive committee was not legitimate, and could thus not organise regional conferences.

The ANCYL provincial executive committee (PEC) convened two regional conferences over the weekend. Kama argued the PEC held regional conferences in areas that had not yet held their branch general meetings in accordance with the party’s constitution.