The mood at the ANC’s National General Council in Ekurhuleni this week was one of introspection and strategy. But for Collen Malatji, president of the party’s Youth League, the path forward requires drawing clear, uncompromising linesespecially when it comes to Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
In a conversation that blended policy focus with political fury, Malatji left no room for ambiguity. He branded the MK Party a group of “criminals” and stated unequivocally that, should the Government of National Unity (GNU) ever be expanded, the MK Party must be locked out.
“We cannot even govern with them,” Malatji told IOL, grounding his criticism in recent controversy. “The latest scandal of them sending people to Russia to use them as shieldsthose are people you cannot associate with.” His remark points directly to the allegations surrounding Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla and the accused recruitment of South Africans for the Russia-Ukraine war zone.
For Malatji, this isn’t just political rivalry; it’s a matter of principle for the ANC’s “renewal project.” “The MK Party is formed by people we removed from the ANC for criminal activities,” he asserted. “We cannot bring them back into government.”
A Focus on Youth Crisis, Amidst Political Battles
Malatji’s sharpest political attacks were framed against what he presented as the Youth League’s core mission: tackling the national emergency of youth unemployment, which sits at a staggering 58.5%. He reiterated the league’s call for unemployment to be declared a national disaster, a move aimed at forcing a more urgent, interventionist state response.
“We have advocated that unemployment must be declared a disaster. That is number one,” he said, linking economic exclusion directly to social ills like crime and gender-based violence. His solution? A foundational restructuring of the economy. “The majority control of the economy must be in the hands of Black people, who are the majority.”
Navigating Alliance Fractures: The SACP Question
The interview also shed light on another growing fracture: the relationship with the South African Communist Party (SACP), which plans to contest the 2036 local elections independently. Malatji’s stance was firm, reflecting a hardline view gaining traction among some ANC members.
“The NGC says if you are contesting us, you cannot be with us. You cannot sit and strategise with us,” he stated. “We treat the SACP the same way we treat the DA and the EFF.”
This position, however, was immediately contradicted by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, a dual member himself, who flatly denied any ban on dual membership. “No, the NEC has not taken that decision,” Mantashe said, highlighting the internal policy tensions the NGC is meant to resolve.
GNU Stability: “No Need to Tamper”
On the broader GNU, Malatji’s exclusionary view towards MK found a companion in Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula‘s assessment of the coalition itself. Mbalula pushed back on narratives of instability, asking, “How can you say this does not show stability?” He firmly stated the ANC has “no intention of expanding the GNU,” calling it unnecessary tampering.
Malatji’s comments, therefore, serve as both a tactical warning and an ideological marker. In a political landscape where the ANC is forced to cooperate with historical opponents like the DA, he defines the outer limit of compromise. The EFF, he suggests, could be a conceivable partner. But the MK Party? That line is drawn in permanent ink.
The message from the youth leader is clear: renewal means purification. And in this vision, there is no room for those he calls criminals, regardless of their political banner.
