Journo slapped at conference

Police had to help restore peace after an elective conference of the Young Communist League in Mafikeng descended into chaos, with delegates supporting opposing leaders engaging in fisticuffs, the loud singing of freedom songs and war-like toyi-toying, preventing proceedings from going ahead.

A cameraman from e.tv, Elewani Rampfumedzi, was slapped in the face by a delegate.

His camera was confiscated and his accreditation torn up as he filmed the onset of the violence.

The media was then ordered out of the North West University hall.

Voting for new leaders was supposed to have started on Friday, the second day of the congress, but by late yesterday afternoon national secretary Buti Manamela’s detractors did all they could to stall the congress, alleging that there were “ghost delegates” who would use duplicate tags to vote for Manamela.

The chaos started when delegates opposing the re-election of Manamela objected that they had not been given a chance to air their grievances and then erupted into raucous singing.

Manamela seemed to command a slim majority among congress delegates over those supporting his deputy and challenger Khaye Nkwanyana.

An SACP Central Committee attempt to intervene in a dispute over 12 irregularly accredited delegates out of more than 1 600 briefly looked set to succeed as SACP Central Committee member and Deputy Minister of Co-operative Governance Yunus Carrim tried to focus delegates by reminding them of how far the YCL had come in its seven-year existence.

But some delegates refused to accept the mediation report and the conference descended into chaos, with delegates leaving their seats and assaulting each other.

The earlier possibility of a compromise on leadership, instead of the elections which were set to further deepen divisions, appeared increasingly remote by late yesterday afternoon amid the singing, jeering and war-like toyi-toying by opposing factions.

The atmosphere was tense and security was strict with delegates ordered to leave any glass or plastic bottles, or any food which could be used as missiles, outside.

Songs by the opposing factions included We are shooting with a gun, iyoo Solomon, a freedom song about struggle hero Solomon Mahlangu popularised at the ANC’s national general council in September.

Outside the hall some delegates condemned the behaviour of those inside as alien to the YCL, and they vowed not to renew their membership.

The most vocal protests came from delegates from Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as pockets from other provinces, who wanted to see Nkwanyana become the new national secretary.

Delegates from Limpopo told The Sunday Independent that Manamela himself had opposed a third term for former president Thabo Mbeki as ANC leader, and he had no right to subsequently accept a third term himself.

They also claim that Manamela was 34, and would therefore soon be older than the cut-off age of 35 for YCL membership.

Manamela, however, claims to be 30.

Manamela’s supporters, in turn, allege that Nkwanyana and his allies, which include outgoing YCL chairman David Masondo, were close to ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema, and that Malema was trying to establish a power base in the YCL by planting supporters in its leadership.

Nkwanyana has denied this.

Alliance leaders have addressed delegates in the course of the congress, with SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande defending his right to hold his party position while being Minister of Higher Education, and Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi explaining why the labour federation reckoned Nzimande could not wear two hats.

ANC Youth League deputy president Andile Lungisa addressed the congress on Friday because an ANCYL’s representative failed to show up.

While the YCL has reported hostility between itself and the youth league, Lungisa was received by delegates without overt hostility.

The congress was scheduled to end today with a rally, where President Jacob Zuma was expected to be one of the main speakers.

• Chaos at YCL congress