The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) must not be used for self-enrichment, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa warned delegates at the elective congress on Friday.

“It is not an ANCYL that is on sale to anybody,” he told delegates at the 25th national congress in Midrand, Johannesburg.

“Tendencies creeping in where money is being used to buy young people must come to an end. We must obliterate them,” Ramaphosa said to cheers.

The ANCYL was holding its long-awaited elective congress more than two years after the ANC disbanded the organisation’s leadership structures.

Ramaphosa said as the ANCYL rebuilt, it needed to be militant, but disciplined, and set a good example.

The ANCYL will elect new leaders at the congress.

Ramaphosa asked them to make the best choice when electing new leadership.

‘Footsteps of giants’

“Cast your eyes back and remember the calibre of leaders which preceded the leaders you going to choose today.

“You are walking in the footsteps of giants. You are standing on the shoulders of gigantic leaders,” he said referring to former president Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Anton Lembede.

Ramaphosa said those were the leaders who wanted to lead so they could serve people.

“We should ask ourselves if leaders we are going to choose will also be the type to say ‘all we want to do is serve our people’.”

There have been allegations senior ANC leaders, known as the “premier league”, were trying to impose ANCYL North West chairperson Collen Maine for president on the organisation.

Maine has been nominated by the majority of the ANCYL provincial general councils.

Other presidential hopefuls were former league treasurer Pule Mabe, former deputy president Ronald Lamola and Tshwane regional chairperson Lesego Makhubela. News24