We Want A President Who Will 'Collapse White Monopoly Capital', Says ANCYL

ANCYL wants a president who will also push for land redistribution and set up a state bank.
African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Collen Maine
African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) leader Collen Maine
REUTERS/Sisipho Skweyiya

The ANC Youth League says when it does finally announce its presidential candidate it will nominate a leader who will "collapse white monopoly capital".

It is in no hurry to pronounce its preferred candidate to replace President Jacob Zuma, the league said on Wednesday, respecting the censure by the party's national working committee and national executive committee (NEC).

President Collen Maine said the ANCYL would only support leaders who will advance land restitution and "have a lot of appetite to collapse white monopoly capital".

Maine added that the league also wanted a leader who would advance the establishment of a state bank.

He said earlier this month that the ANCYL would nominate a leader who will "shock" the nation following the ANC Women's League public backing of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as its preferred presidential candidate.

The youth league has widely been expected to support Dlamini-Zuma after it said it supported calls for a woman president last year.

Push for young leaders

It has since said it would reprimand its KwaZulu-Natal structure for pronouncing its support for Dlamini-Zuma.

Maine said at the weekend the NEC would only discuss what was required from a leader.

"We [are] not in hurry to talk about names, we will be discussing principles and challenges facing the ANC," Maine said. However, he said the league would push for a generational mix in the top leadership, including the top six positions.

The ANCYL wants 40 percent of the NEC to be made up of young people.

"As young people our primary focus is to ensure that ANC is getting younger and therefore [when] we discuss leadership that will be taken into cognizance," Maine said.

The league said it was under no pressure to pronounce its preferred candidate ahead of the December elective conference. It will announce its candidate after the ANC policy conference in June, Maine said.

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