African National Congress Youth League facts for kids
Quick facts for kids African National CongressYouth League |
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| President | Collen Malatji |
| Secretary General | Mntuwoxolo Ngudle |
| Founded | 10 September 1944 |
| Headquarters | Luthuli House 54 Sauer Street Johannesburg Gauteng |
| Mother party | African National Congress |
| International affiliation | International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) |
| Magazine | Hlomelang |
The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth part of the African National Congress (ANC). The ANC is a big political party in South Africa. The ANCYL helps young people get involved in politics and supports the ANC's goals. It is guided by a group called the National Executive Committee (NEC) and another called the National Working Committee (NWC).
Starting the Youth League
Why the ANCYL Was Formed
The idea for the ANC Youth League began in 1943. Young leaders like Anton Lembede, A.P. Mda, Nelson Mandela, and Oliver Tambo met at Walter Sisulu's house in Orlando, Soweto. They felt that the main ANC party was too old-fashioned and not doing enough to fight for equal rights.
Older leaders had tried talking to the government to get fair treatment for everyone. But this approach was not working. Since the ANC started in 1912, black people had lost many rights. Laws like the land acts and workplace colour bars made life very unfair.
Getting Approval for the Youth League
The young leaders asked Dr. Alfred Bitini Xuma, the ANC president, for permission to start a youth league. Dr. Xuma was worried because the youth wanted to be more active and forceful. However, he allowed the idea to be discussed at the 1943 ANC conference. The conference decided to create the Youth League.
The First Meeting
The first Youth League conference happened in March 1944. About 200 people attended. Selope Thema, an activist, opened the meeting. Albertina Sisulu, Walter Sisulu's wife, was the only woman there.
At this meeting, Anton Lembede was chosen as the first president. Victor Mbodo became vice president, Walter Sisulu was treasurer, and Oliver Tambo was secretary. Other important members were also elected to the executive committee.
New Leaders and Stronger Actions
The Youth League's start in 1944 brought in a new group of strong leaders. Anton Lembede, the first president, made the league very active and determined. Nelson Mandela said Lembede was a "magnetic personality" who thought in new ways. Mandela also believed in Lembede's idea of "militant African nationalism," which meant actively fighting for African rights. Lembede sadly passed away in 1947.
By the late 1940s, the Youth League became very influential within the ANC. They called for civil disobedience and strikes. This was to protest the many unfair laws of the new apartheid system. The government often used force against these protests. For example, in 1950, 18 black people were killed during a protest. Many protesters, including Mandela, were jailed and beaten.
Important Moments and Changes
Thabo Mbeki joined the Youth League in 1956. He was even kicked out of high school in 1959 for taking part in a strike. In 1959, some ANCYL members left to form a different group called the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).
In 1960, the PAC, ANC, and their related groups were banned by the government. Thabo Mbeki helped organize a protest when South Africa decided to leave the Commonwealth of Nations. He then left South Africa as the ANC suggested.
The Youth League continued its work secretly during the rest of the apartheid years. In 1990, F. W. de Klerk made the ANC and its groups, including the Youth League, legal again. Peter Mokaba then led the newly unbanned Youth League.
Recent Leadership and Challenges
New Presidents and Political Influence
In 2005, Fikile Mbalula became the president of the Youth League. He took over from Malusi Gigaba. Under Mbalula, the ANCYL became very active in supporting Jacob Zuma to become the ANC president.
In April 2008, Julius Malema was elected president after a tough election.
Changes in Leadership
In November 2011, Julius Malema was found to have caused problems within the ruling party. He was suspended for five years. After appeals, his suspension became an expulsion. On 24 April 2012, his expulsion was confirmed. The league's spokesperson, Floyd Shivambu, was suspended for three years. The secretary general, Sindiso Magaqa, was suspended for one year.
After these events, the Youth League lost a lot of support among young people. In 2015, the league held its 25th National conference. Collen and Njabulo Nzuza were elected as President and Secretary General. However, they struggled to meet expectations and did not hold the next election for the ANCYL. Because of these problems, the ANC National Executive Committee eventually decided to dissolve the ANCYL leadership.
Rebuilding the Youth League
The ANC then created a National Youth Task Team to manage the Youth League's affairs. This team was supposed to prepare for a new conference. However, this team included ANC members who were older than 35. This age limit is set by the ANCYL's own rules.
In 2020, a group of young ANC members, including Nonceba Mhlauli, Katlego Mamabolo, and others, formed the ANCYL Crisis Committee. They gathered young people from across the country. They argued that the National Youth Task Team was illegal because of the age of its members.
The ANCYL Crisis Committee believed that older ANC members should not control youth matters. They felt that young people could rebuild their own organization. In early 2021, the ANC's NEC agreed with the Crisis Committee. They disbanded the National Youth Task Team. Instead, they appointed a National Congress Preparatory Team. This team was led by Nonceba Mhlauli and Joy.
The Latest Leaders
From 29 June to 2 July 2023, the Youth League held its 26th National Congress. Collen Malatji, a member from Gauteng, was elected as president. Phumzile Mgcina became deputy president. Mntuwoxolo Ngudle was elected Secretary-General.
The league's rules were also changed to allow for a second Deputy Secretary-General. Tsakani Shiviti and Olga Seate were then elected to these roles. Zwelo Masilela was chosen as Treasurer-General.
Leaders
Past leaders of the ANCYL include:
- Anton Lembede: 1944–1947
- A. P. Mda: 1948–1950
- Nelson Mandela: 1950–1960
- Jackie Selebi: 1987–1991
- Peter Mokaba: 1991–1994
- Lulu Johnson: 1994–1996
- Malusi Gigaba: 1996–2004
- Fikile Mbalula: 2004–2008
- Julius Malema: 2008–2012
- Collen Maine: 2015–2019
- Collen Malatji: 2023–present
