ANC MPL accused of ‘rejecting’ child, Youth League demands he resigns

The ANC Youth League in Jozini, far north of KwaZulu-Natal, has demanded that the ANC MPL in KwaZulu-Natal legislature, Jomo Sibiya, resign from all his positions immediately.  

This comes as Sibiya was embroiled in a messy bout with a 22-year-old woman who accused the prominent ANC politician of rejecting his child. 

The woman painted a sordid picture of betrayal and rejection in her recent Facebook post when she thrust her relationship with Sibiya into the spotlight. 

She accused Sibiya of rejecting his child, that was believed to be less than a year old.

Evidently angry, Sibiya flexed his legal muscles, roping in his attorney to deal with the woman, who he accused of tarnishing his image.

However, determined to expose what she previously termed a “stressful relationship” she persisted regardless of the legal threats. 

She was subsequently arrested in June for breaking the rules of a court order that Sibiya had sought against her. 

But she was later released as she had a young child to care for.

DAVID VERSUS GOLIATH AFFAIR

Dubbing the dramatic events as a “David versus Goliath” sparring match, the youth league in Jozini stepped in and took the corner of the young woman. 

The Youth League was the first internal structure to confront the MEC, who was also the chairperson of the education committee in the legislature.

Sibiya was a member of the ANC’s provincial executive committee, the highest provincial party decision making body. 

But the youth league in Jozini wanted him gone in all the positions he occupied. 

‘RESIGN NOW OR ELSE…’

“Comrades must at all materials times be seen as true revolutionaries, who even in their private space must portray the ideals of our movement, we therefore request comrade Jomo Sibiya to self-introspect and find it in his revolutionary conscience to excuse himself from all positions entrusted to him by the organization as he deals with these serious allegations,” .

said Qhubekani Muthwa, the youth league’s secretary in Jozini

OUR DUTY IS TO PROTECT WOMEN: ANC YOUTH LEAGUE

The young lions in Jozini, as the youth league was sometimes called, said their duty as young people was to defend women regardless of political party affiliations.   

“As the leadership of ANCYL in the Jozini Subregion within the Far North Region we wish to throw our weight in support of all women victimized by men, and more specifically older men with political power and financial resources,”  

said Muthwa.

He said they were gunning for Sibiya’s head because of the “alleged sexual abuse and victimization of a young woman.”

“We take these allegations very seriously and deserve immediate attention, we must stand up and defend women who openly speak out against abuse,”  

said Muthwa

He, however, said they were not in a way advancing a narrative that Sibiya was guilty.  

“He must assist the organization to not be dragged in a matter relating to women abuse,”

said Muthwa.

Sibiya could be reached for comment as his cellphone rang to voicemail.