ANCYL's Malatji blasts Zuma decision to back MK party ahead of polls

JOHANNESBURG - African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president, Collen Malatji, has lambasted former President Jacob Zuma's decision to decampaign the governing party ahead of the general elections.

Last month, Zuma announced that he would support the newly registered uMkhonto weSizwe party instead of the ANC.

Speaking at the party’s birthday cake-cutting ceremony in Mpumalanga on Monday, Malatji insisted that Zuma had damaged the ANC's image more than any other president of the party.

The ANCYL president said that the party's renewal programme had filtered out criminals who've masqueraded as politicians and struggle icons for years.

He said a majority of the country's new political parties were formed following the implementation of the ANC's step-aside resolution, which he said managed to root out rotten officials from the party.

"Some of them we have been defending them for years. Instead, some of those people who are jumping around have caused more damage to the brand of the ANC than any other president of the African National Congress. We must remind them that the ANC spent close to 20 years defending them as individuals."

He added that he doubted the uMkhonto weSizwe party would survive the next five years, as he says it was formed just to tarnish the ANC.

However, Zuma remains committed to voicing his disapproval of the governing party's current leadership.