The African National Congress (ANC) Youth League has vowed to lobby support from branches and regional structures of the ruling party for Jacob Zuma to succeed President Thabo Mbeki as leader.

The league's unwavering support for Zuma despite the damage arising from the trial of his financial adviser Schabir Shaik disproves the view that there is not yet a debate within the political party about post- Mbeki leadership .

It was through the endorsement of the then-influential league that Mbeki assumed the party presidency without opposition.

After the youth league national executive committee lekgotla at the weekend, president Fikile Mbalula told a media conference in Johannesburg that they had no problem with most candidates suggested within the ANC and the media.

However, the league believed Zuma "was a natural successor according to party tradition", Mbalula said.

"Those (other candidates) with uncontrollable desire for power should patiently wait in line. It is Zuma's chance and their turn will come," he said.

Political analyst Dumisane Hlophe said the league had been kingmakers within the ANC since the party engaged in an armed struggle. However, in the last few years, the tradition of the league being a catalyst of ANC programmes and leadership "has weakened considerably". T his was an attempt to re-establish the league's influence in the party, he said.

Other hopefuls cast as possible contenders in the ANC presidential race ahead of the party's conference in 2007 include Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, former secretary general Cyril Ramaphosa, Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni, Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe.

Candidates for the post are likely to be debated at the party's general council in June this year.

ANC spokesman Smuts Ngonyama said that while the party had no problem with the youth league's choice, it believed the league should have vigorously debated the matter within party structures instead of going public.

"It is premature to assume about the fate of their candidate. In the end, it is a democratic process of and a collective decision of all ANC structures that will determine the party's choice for a leader," Ngonyama said.

The youth league also defended its members who have received business opportunities in various black economic empowerment deals. It said those who were objecting and complaining about the alleged abuse of political connectivity, wanted to exclude people by virtue of their political affiliation.

"Our members have every right to participate in any form of economic activity and the youth league equally has a right to raise funds from any business individual willing to donate as well as investing in the portfolio of our choice in the same way trade unions and civil society do," Mbalula said.

He said youth league members should not apologise for engaging in various entrepreneurial *1 ventures alone or with existing business including taking an advantage of empowerment deals set up by controversial mining magnate Brett Kebble.

Another ANCYL resolution at the weekend called on Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile to consider serious interventionist measures to force national cricket and rugby administrators to transform their establishments.

Mbalula accused both sports federations of "paying lip service" to transformation while doing nothing on the ground to challenge regional and provincial cricket and rugby associations and coaches to train and field enough black players in order to supply the national squads.

He also called for the convening of a national sport summit to thoroughly look into the transformation objectives versus the behaviour of all sports federations. He said with the exception of a few, most sports federations have given the sports ministry nothing but excuses and empty promises.

The youth league also expressed similar sentiments with its mother body (ANC national executive) on the Sector Education and Training Authority (Seta) lack of progress in closing the skills gap in the country *2. It called for expeditious and decisive intervention.

With acknowledgements to Business Day and Hopewell Radebe.

*1 An entrepreneur adds value. This is mostly sheer opportunitism derived from political connectivity with the ruling party.

*2 Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment should be far more concerned with closing the skills gap in the country. Such an approach is self-sustaining. The present approach is more akin to harvest of the golden goose.

The big question is what will happen when the "lucky" Usual Suspects, who might end up numbering a few thousand, have reaped the comparatively scarce harvest of privatisation and redistribution. Then the masses, who number tens of millions, will want something else.

First No Brainer of 2005
Just what will there be left to distribute to the millions?