AHMED KATHRADA MEMORIAL SERVICE DISRUPTED BY ANC YOUTH LEAGUE MEMBERS

BY SUBRY GOVENDER

Despite appeals by KwaZulu-Natal ANC leaders, members of the ANC Youth League shouted down senior leader, Zweli Mkhize, and disrupted the closing stages of the memorial service held for struggle icon, Ahmed Kathrada, in Durban on Sunday (April 9). The memorial was organised by the Active Citizens Movement(ACM), which had obtained a court order to prevent the youth league members from disrupting the memorial service. The service was held at the historical Sastri College, near Durban’s former home of non-racial football, Currie’s Fountain. The Youth League members, wearing pro-Zuma t-shirts and carrying placards in support of Zuma, shouted and booed Dr Mkhize, who is the National Treasurer of the ruling ANC.

They also sang and danced and made it impossible for Dr Mkhize to deliver his address.

Earlier, former Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan, had to cut short his address after he was also repeatedly disrupted by the Youth League members who made it clear that they supported the recent cabinet re-shuffle and Zuma. Gordhan, who was fired by Zuma recently, tried to instil the values and principles for which leaders like Kathrada had sacrificed their lives. He also tried to inform those present that it was vitally necessary to fight all forms of corruption so that South Africans, especially the youth, could have a better future. He also said that without unity the ANC will face serious problems in 2019 general elections. But it seemed that the Zuma factionalists in the audience were not prepared to listen to Gordhan and on several occasions shouted and showed Gordhan the finger.

The Youth League members were repeatedly urged by ANC KwaZulu-Natal leader, Sihle Zikalala, and the Youth League provincial secretary, Sanduxolo Sabela, to display the true values of unity of the ANC by allowing all leaders to deliver their speeches without any disturbances.

But from the time they entered the hall, they made it clear through their actions and songs that they were there just to promote Zuma and not to listen to leaders they considered to be anti-Zuma. At one stage the police entered the hall when some members of the audience disagreed with the disruptive actions of the youth league members. The youth league members became aggressive and Mr Zikalala had to appeal to the police to leave the hall so that they could resolve the problems themselves.

Zikalala spoke both in IsiZulu and English to call on the youth league members to be tolerant to opposing views and not to become aggressive. The youth league members had lined up to take their seats in the hall about three hours before the start of the service. However, their entry was delayed for some time while the police carried out stringent security checks and ensured that it was safe for Gorhan, Dr Mkhize and other leaders to speak at the service. In their addresses, both Zikalala and Sabela, while urging the youth league members to maintain discipline and not to disrupt the speakers, they also made it clear that they supported the recent cabinet re-shuffle and also they supported Zuma as president of the ANC and the country.

When they were waiting outside the school premises, the youth league members also sang and shouted slogans in support of Zuma and made it vociferously clear that they would not tolerate any criticism of their leader.

The actions of the youth league members inside the hall was condemned by most of the people who said they could not understand that there was so much lack of respect for senior ANC leaders who sacrificed their lives for the freedom that South Africans enjoy today. “It seems these people have no time for non-racialism, peace, democracy, equality and economic and social development that leaders like Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, and others had fought for and gave their lives,” said one of the people who attended the service.