The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in the Western Cape has criticised the ANC in the province for its stance on President Jacob Zuma.

The ANC’s provincial executive committee (PEC) had decided to publicly undermine President Jacob Zuma and the decision of the party’s national working committee, ANC Youth League provincial chairperson Muhammad Khalid Sayed said on Monday.

“This particular position is all well and good if your primary function is to build an ANC in the image of those calling for President Zuma to resign in support of organisations like the SACP, DA, EFF, Save SA, SA First, SA Chamber of Business, etc. The latter have a common agenda based on personalities and a right-wing neo-liberal capture of the state and ownership patterns and not pro-poor ANC policy,” he said.

ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs affirmed Zuma’s right to change his Cabinet but said that it should have been done in consultation with leadership.

He said the PEC was of the opinion that the ANC’s integrity committee was the best internal instrument to investigate Zuma’s conduct and make recommendations.

‘Promote agenda at your peril’

The ANCYL said party leaders were promoting “factionalism and an anti-majoritarian agenda” at their peril.

The ANC said the ANCYL had no right to tell it what to do, say, or think.

“While we always value and welcome the contributions made by the Youth League in enriching our outcomes, Rule 19.9.9 clearly stipulates that it is the PEC that will, inter alia, oversee the work of the Youth League in the province and not the other way around,” the party said in a statement.

On March 30, Zuma controversially reshuffled his Cabinet. Those he axed included finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas. Ratings agencies Standard & Poor’s and Fitch downgraded South Africa’s credit ratings and thousands of people took part in nationwide protests against Zuma.

Suspended ANC Western Cape chairperson Marius Fransman rejected the PEC's statement.

On Monday, he accused the current Western Cape ANC leadership, and provincial member and former tourism minister Derek Hanekom of trying to undermine the party in the province.

He added that it was not true that ANC membership in the province had dropped, and the party had actually increased its numbers in the province since 2014.