When Julius Malema told delegates to the Eastern Cape ANCYL conference that the meeting would proceed no matter what, Simphiwe Mayekiso protested. Mayekiso was bundled out of the conference by security guards and dumped outside the gates of the Joza Indoor Sports Centre.
When Julius Malema told delegates to the Eastern Cape ANCYL conference that the meeting would proceed no matter what, Simphiwe Mayekiso protested. Mayekiso was bundled out of the conference by security guards and dumped outside the gates of the Joza Indoor Sports Centre.
Mayekiso then blew his ear-piercing whistle and toyi-toyied with other barred ANCYL members outside the gate.
Early in the day delegates milled outside the gate eating sausages and dry bread as the lonely sound of Celine Dion’s That’s what it takes drifted across the empty inner courtyard. But tension outside the venue grew as five busloads of supporters from two different league factions arrived.
A heavy presence of armed police officers watched as followers of Mawande Ndakisa, candidate for the Eastern Cape chair of the ANCYL, kicked up dust on the road in front of the centre and sang “Viva Mawande, Viva!”
Those aligned with Ayanda Matiti formed orderly queues to get into the venue, some sporting green, yellow and black gowns or sarongs printed with President Jacob Zuma’s face.
Disgruntled supporters
Several Ndakisa supporters felt they had deliberately been excluded from the conference. Many had left their homes from all over the Eastern Cape with the impression that they were already delegates, only to hear at registration on Friday that their names were not on the list.
Loyiso Yalezo from Qumbu believed people like him had been substituted with Matiti supporters.
“They’re denying us our democratic rights,” added Andiswa Zuka from Queenstown, who believed that ghost delegates were being ferried in from the townships to vote for Matiti.
Inside the centre, Malema’s address on Sunday afternoon had a large crowd hanging on his every word, interjecting only with encouraging whistling, cheers and songs.
Matiti, punted as Malema’s proxy, eventually won the election which was held throughout the night on Saturday. Matiti supporters got a chance to toyi-toyi up and down the road as they sang celebration songs, waving fists and ANC banners in the air on Sunday morning.
“We’ve been waiting for this a long time,” said Sinenjongo Dyanti, who stopped for a moment to express her happiness.
Another Matiti follower, who would not give his name because he had no “mandate to talk to the media”, said he was over the moon.
But by the time Matiti himself read his first address as new chairman, many of the seats were empty. The remaining delegates looked exhausted after a tedious weekend of conferencing.
The issue of factionalism within the ANCYL was also addressed by former ANCYL president and current Deputy Police Chief Fikile Mbalula.
“Ons is gatvol!” he said about delegates disrupting the meeting.
By that time, however, the disruptive elements like Mayekiso had long gone home.
