ANC disappointed with Colleen Malatji’s attack on Lesufi’s leadership

Malatji

Cape Town — The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng has expressed its disappointment with the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) leader, Collen Malatji, for his comments regarding the party’s leadership in the province.

Malataji criticized Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for appointing “celebrities” and “golden boys” as MECs in his provincial government, alleging that they prioritised personal interests and parties over addressing the needs of the citizens, IOL reported.

“These MECs were nowhere to be found during campaigns but drinking champagne in the suites with slay queens during rallies,” he said.

“We know there are golden boys in Gauteng whom no one can touch … It is always obvious that they are going to be deployed as MECs, even though they are not known,” he said.

According to EWN, the ANC Veterans League (ANCVL) echoed Malatji’s sentiments and raised its concerns with Lesufi’s leadership in Gauteng. 

While the elders in the ANC have expressed great dissatisfaction with the province’s handling of power-sharing talks with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the ANC has left the DA out of the executive, instead opting for a minority government.

The ANC Gauteng expressed its disappointment with Malatji’s comments and said his criticism of Lesufi was deemed unacceptable within the party.

“This is one of the reasons why we had people who were behaving like Julius Malema and that the national committee was dissolved because it believed that radicalism meant rising through insults and character assassinating leaders and members of the ANC,” he said.

Makhubela said that Malatji’s statements were not merely aimed at specific individuals, but also served as an “insult” to the party’s volunteers who faced numerous challenges on the ground during the election campaigns.

“You know, we have had difficult campaigns here in Gauteng, (as) most political parties were formed just to contest for elections in Gauteng. Most independents who were on the ballots were in Gauteng, if you look at the legislatures, Parliament, and everything, the most fiercely contested elections were here in Gauteng,” Makhubela said.

“That’s why the ANC in Gauteng has written to the officials to say that we need an audience with you because these unwarranted attacks have to clarify where they come from, who are the sources of these particular attacks, what informs them.”

According to The Citizen, Malatji denied that his comments were specifically directed at Gauteng Finance and Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile, despite widespread speculation.

“I don’t know why there’s an obsession about Lebogang Maile unless society feels that the shoe fits, but I was talking about everyone else [who] must be held accountable.

“I’ve never mentioned anyone’s name. I spoke about a general view that the society feels. The ANC society is associated with opulence, cigars,[and] leaders [who] come whenever they want to go door-to-door for votes. It is no longer associated with organising and resolving problems,” Malatji clarified.

An X account believed to be Maile’s on Thursday shot back at Malatji’s sentiments about politicians who don’t do their work.

“The sugar daddies send their boyfriends to insult us because they are cowards. I dare them to show their faces.”

In response to Maile’s post, he thought it was insensitive if it came from Maile or a fake account. He said it was insensitive considering the ANCYL’s support for the queer community. He called on Maile to apologise for his comments and emphasised the need for accountability from MECs

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Compiled by Matthew Petersen

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