Malatji hits back at Mapaila over GNU comments

African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) President Collen Malatji has hit back at South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary Solly Mapaila.

Malatji says if Mapaila has a problem with the structure of the Government of National Unity (GNU), then the SACP must withdraw its deployees from government.

His comments follow Mapaila’s utterances where he criticised the GNU in a popular podcast last week, accusing ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa of leading a neoliberalist faction within the party.

Malatji says that if Mapaila and the SACP have a problem with the GNU, then they should ready themselves to contest the next elections independently so they can implement their own policies.

“Because you can’t say we’re a GNU of sellouts when your national chair is there in the Government of National Unity. Now, it lacks a bit of consistency, but the Solly Mapaila you know, that is a product of the Youth League and COSAS (Congress of South African Students) and many other structures of the movement. He’s very brave. We know that it’s either he will agree with the ANC on the GNU work, or he’ll immediately withdraw those that are from the party who are in the GNU, so that we’re seeing action. Then later on, he must set up structures to contest elections on his own and stop being under the skirt of the African National Congress,” says Malatji.

Meanwhile, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has called for maximum restraint over comments made by Mapaila.

VIDEO | ANC and SACP tensions increase post GNU: