No Malema at BNFYL congress

ISAIAH MOREWAGAE
Staff Writer | Monday June 3, 2013 00:00

After weeks of bickering over whether the disgraced former African National Congress youth league president should address the congress or not, delegates were eagerly awaiting the latest development on who is going to address them.

It turned out that Malema was no longer part of the guests that will attend the congress.  Directing the proceeding BNFYL secretary general, Arafat Khan told delegates that Malema was no longer coming but did not give details why Malema was no longer coming.  'Comrade Malema will not be joining us,' he said.

Instead The Pan African Youth Union president, Andile Lungisa, who is also former African National Congress Youth League deputy president, addressed the delegates as a guest speaker. In the week leading to the congress, two BNFYL executives were at each other's throats, with the Tona Selala-led group saying on the one hand that the youth league executive has agreed to invite Malema to be the guest speaker.

On the other hand, BNFYL outgoing President Tona Mooketsi said that it was immoral to invite Malema who has been fired by ANC and 'expect him to share a table with members of ANCYL and the young communist league who will also grace the occasion'. Interestingly, Mooketsi when given a chance to address delegates did not touch on the issue of Malema but instead cautioned BNF members that they should be cautious about who they choose as friends of their organisation.