ANC Youth League backtracks as Malatji suspension collapses after SG Mbalula’s intervention

The ANC Youth League’s leadership crisis has taken a decisive turn after the suspension of its president, Collen Malatji, was withdrawn following direct intervention from ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.

What began as a dramatic power struggle has now been temporarily contained, with Youth League secretary-general Mntuwoxolo Ngudle issuing a formal apology and retracting his earlier actions.

The uproar started when Ngudle accused Malatji of convening a parallel meeting, sidelining senior officials and acting outside his constitutional mandate in preparations for the Youth League’s 27th national congress. Based on these allegations, a faction of the national executive announced a “precautionary suspension” of Malatji, barring him from publicly representing the organisation.

Malatji immediately dismissed the move as illegitimate and factional, insisting the NEC had no authority to unilaterally suspend him. The standoff escalated as Ngudle countered by claiming his own powers to discipline Malatji, plunging the Youth League into a leadership vacuum and raising concerns within the broader ANC about the stability of its youth structures.

This prompted urgent intervention from Mbalula, who summoned the parties to a crisis meeting. After reviewing the matter, he is said to have instructed that the suspension be withdrawn on the basis that it was procedurally flawed and risked damaging the organisation ahead of the December congress.

Following the meeting, Ngudle formally retracted the suspension in writing and issued an apology for the confusion, acknowledging that the decision had been “misguided” and not aligned with organisational protocol. With the apology accepted, Malatji has been reinstated fully as president, and the Youth League has been urged to focus on unity and organisational renewal ahead of its elective gathering.