Durban - The ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal says it will not be swayed by the use of money in determining who becomes its next leader.
The league is set to hold its provincial elective conference next month, and despite rumours of the circulating of money to influence the conference decision, senior member Njabulo Mtolo expressed confidence they would elect a legitimate leadership.
He cited the ANC provincial conference in July as an illustration of the ruling party’s ability to navigate the “use of money” to influence conference outcomes.
“This year’s conference was held as a normal conference and despite everything a leadership emerged without the influence of money. That gives us the confidence that we are able to withstand any form of influence,” said Mtolo.
He also affirmed the league’s decision of endorsing Dr Zweli Mkhize as the presidential candidate for the ruling party’s elective conference at Nasrec in Gauteng in December.
According to the youth league leader, there was great unhappiness over the continuing load shedding and its effects on the province’s and country’s economic growth prospects.
Mtolo also expressed the league’s concern over a radical move towards green energy, warning of its impact on some provinces in the country.
“We are saying that we have coal that is driving economic activity in some provinces and closing down these (mines) would see the emergence of ghost cities and townships and we certainly do not want that,” he said, insisting on a balanced approach on power generation.
He noted that some of the countries that had championed the call for use of renewable energy were importing coal from South Africa and said this should be a lesson that the country should make full use of its coal before exporting to other countries.