‘We cannot apologise,’ ANCYL says regarding row with Pravin Gordhan

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan are at loggerheads after a public spat over state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Gordhan demanded an apology by ANCYL leader Collen Malatji for his “ill-considered” statement about selling SOEs. 

Malatji told The Citizen that if Gordhan were not stopped from selling SOEs, he would sell everything, including South Africans. Gordhan said Malatji was trying to tarnish his name and undermine the work of the government and the department in restructuring SOEs.

Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, ANCYL spokesperson Zama Khanyase said the league opposed privatisation and “will never apologise” to Gordhan.

“The ANCYL will never apologise. We have been saying [and] we stand by it. We cannot apologise for the policy position of the ANCYL. What we can do is sit down and have conversations.”

Khanyase said the league was voicing the frustrations of the youth. “The ANCYL does not differ with the policy position but says let us implement resolutions that have been adopted by the ANC,” she said. 

Gordhan said he would meet the ANCYL soon.

He said the government and the department will not be deterred in their work to revitalise SOCs, root out corruption and ensure they deliver on their mandate to transform and develop the economy.

“We have not solved the problem of corruption. What we are doing in respect of restoring SOEs to functionality is about serving current and future generations,” Gordhan said.

“The latest misinformation is further evidence there is a concerted campaign involving people with vested interests, who only care about lining their pockets and are intent on sowing confusion. This campaign of misinformation and deliberate distortions, like many others before it, is going to fail. Our focus is on executing on our mandate to ensure SOEs deliver on key national strategic objectives, including transforming and revitalising our economy against all odds.”

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula previously said the youth league was a “necessary irritation” and was free to engage with the government. 

“Sometimes we may not see things young people see. They are responsible to provide ideas, apart from being a necessary irritation. Ideas are not insults. It is about arguing in the revolution to say: ‘Comrades, you are selling out the revolution for these reasons’. We do not expect our youth to always be on the right path, but we have to share with them our experiences of the past.”

TimesLIVE