ANC Youth League Slammed for Supporting and Observing Russia’s “Sham” Referendums

• African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) members are supporting Russia’s referendums in four areas occupied by its military
• The voting is an attempt to justify Russia’s forcible seizure of the areas and has been described as a sham to legalise the military actions
• The ANC task team consists of 35 individuals that were appointed by the political party’s suspended Secretary-General Ace Magashule

MOSCOW - Members of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) are observing Russia’s referendums that seek to legitimise its takeover of Ukraine territory. The voting has been described as a sham that attempts to justify Russia’s forcible seizure of the areas occupied by its military.

The ruling party’s youth league members have been quoted in Russian state media supporting the referendums in the oblasts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The polls have been slammed by Ukraine and Western nations, saying it is a pretence of legality.

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A state-owned news agency spoke with ANCYL International Relations Subcommittee Chairperson Khulekani Mondli Skhosana who said the people "should have the right to vote". According to the Daily Maverick, Skhosana said the organisation supported the “legitimate elections” and condemned attempts to sabotage the process.

The ANC task team consists of 35 individuals that were appointed by the political party’s suspended Secretary-General Ace Magashule last April. Honorary President of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa Dzvinka Kachur slammed the ANCYL’s actions.

Kachur said anyone who grew up in South Africa should not believe that there is democracy taking place. He said it was shocking that the ANC was supporting the referendum.

The South African reported that the campaign was carried out while Russian soldiers were present. The publication claimed that citizens were marched out of their homes and ordered to vote in favour of Moscow.

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Social media users react to the ANCYL’s involvement:

@Poplak said:

“If you need the ANC Youth League to endorse your sham election project, and you’re quoting such “youths” in your state media, your regime’s shelf life is about as long as the last lamb chop’s at an ANC Youth League function.”

@PiersPigou commented:

“The ANCYL’s participation in the referendums Moscow is underwriting in Ukraine’s occupied territories will simply reinforce perceptions that South Africa could never be an honest broker as it claims when it comes to the mediation of the “Ukraine crisis”.”

@ChrisRoper wrote:

“The ANCYL. Never yet met a trough too polluted that they won’t greedily lap it up.”

@Savourcard posted:

“ANC now supports colonialism and imperialism.”

@jean_leroux added:

“Flabbergasted that the ANCYL is declaring Russian referendums in occupied Ukraine as “free and fair”. Soldiers are going door to door to force people - the ones who haven’t fled 7 months of war - to vote. Talk about being useful idiots.”

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Temporary Moscow-held Ukraine regions to "vote" on annexation by Russia

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported Temporary Moscow-held regions of Ukraine are participating in Russia’s referendums on annexation as Kyiv’s troops wrest back territory captured by Moscow’s forces.

Separatist authorities in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as in the southern Kherson region, said they would hold the "vote" over five days until Tuesday, 27 September.

These territories are on the frontlines of a sweeping Ukrainian counter-offensive that has seen Kyiv’s forces retake hundreds of towns and villages that had been controlled by Russia for months.

Source: Briefly News