It seems the provincial secretary Booysen's apology on Tuesday about his remarks is not enough.

This as the YCLSA’s Provincial Secretary, Mamiki Setabela, says in a statement that they note with concern the recent mockery which occurred during a heated exchange with Sello Theepe on a social media group chat, with Booysen telling Theepe that his RDP house is the size of Booysen's bar, amongst others.

She says Booysen’s recent posts about the size his bar being bigger to the house of his fellow Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) Member Theepe shows disregard for the efforts and poverty alleviation programmes by the ANC-led alliance government. Setabela branded Booysen as an unguided charlatan who should be further subjected to rigorous political education aimed at instilling discipline and how to be a comrade.

“While the YCLSA in the Free State strongly condemns acts of flamboyance displayed by supposedly youth leaders. In our introspection, we ask ourselves if indeed the eye of the needle is still applicable when deciding those who should be at the helm of the movement. No leader/youth activist from the ranks of MDM structures should be inspired by Reagan‘s rented opulence,” she adds.

Setabela has further described the comments as hypocrisy at a high level.

"This is hypocrisy at a high level - coming from a person who is supposed to be an advocate of youth development rather than the cheap mockery he is displaying unto the constituency that is fighting the triple challenges faced by this country.

"In addition, we reject and do not accept the so-called justification-apology posted on social media by this fellow, who claims to be the child of the working class. The so-called apology lacks remorse thus deserves to be rejected. The arrogance displayed and showing-off is evident enough that he does not care about what the society thinks of him as the leader of the ANCYL. He is indeed a political bar,” she further adds.

In his apology issued on Wednesday, Booysen says he did not mean to undermine RDP houses per se, which he describes as a product of the democratic government and home to many South Africans. 

Meanwhile, the ANC Youth League spokesperson, Sello Peterson, told OFM News that the party found Booysen's utterances distasteful and had reprimanded both members.

OFM News