Johannesburg – The ANC can retake the Western Cape, the ANC Youth League said on Friday.

“It is possible for the ANC to take back the Western Cape,” ANC Youth League president Mzwandile Masina told reporters at a media briefing in Johannesburg.

“We have a number of people in the province doing work… We should have no less than 5 000 people stationed there [soon],” he said.

The ANCYL national task team also called for a speedy conclusion to the case involving the National Youth Development Agency’s (NYDA) former CEO Steven Ngubeni.

He was dismissed earlier this month after the NYDA board found him guilty of seven charges of financial misconduct following a disciplinary inquiry.

Ngubeni said he would challenge the dismissal in court.

He said the board’s decision was unfair and that he would present his side of the story.

“We have noted with sadness the shenanigans within the NYDA, and we call for a speedy conclusion regarding the case involving the CEO of the board,” said ANCYL task team co-ordinator Makasela Mzobe.

‘Mickey Mouse’ parties

The national task team also commented on the launch of former ANCYL leader Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Sunday.

Masina said the ANCYL would not tolerate “Mickey Mouse” parties which continued to undermine the ANC.

“We must build on the foundation of our presidents [Nelson] Mandela, [Thabo] Mbeki, and Zuma,” Masina said.

“The programme of economic freedom will be delivered in our lifetime by the ANC. Sound bites don’t build policies.”

The team said parties like the EFF and movements such as Red October worked against the country’s vision of a rainbow nation.

“Let us minimise divisions against [racial] lines,” the team urged, and said people like Malema were “blowing hot air”.

Last Thursday a call was made, via various social networks, for people to join a march against the oppression of and violence against white South Africans.

The movement was called “Red October”.

– SAPA