ANCYL crisis committee slams ‘steaming campaign’ against Covid-19, calls for arrests

The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) crisis committee, has called for the arrest of its Tshwane regional task team after it launched a “steaming campaign” as part of combatting Covid-19.

The crisis committee – a body not recognised by the ANC leadership – launched an attack on the Tshwane leadership, calling the regional executive committee (REC) an “eldership” masquerading as young people.

In its statement, the crisis committee lambasted the REC in Tshwane for what it said was a “Peter Pan” syndrome which caused its eldership to be a danger to the organisation and to the public.

“The ANCYL crisis committee has resigned itself to the fact that these adults who illegitimately lead our organisation are perpetual children mentally.

“Therefore, in the interest of the organisation and society at large and in line with the Disaster Management Act, we call upon the immediate arrest of the entire illegitimate REC of the ANCYL in Tshwane for peddling fake news and putting the lives of young people in danger,” the statement said.

News24 previously reported that the Tshwane REC launched what it called a “steaming campaign” in which people were encouraged to “embrace an old African remedy which comes at no cost”.

It advised people to steam two to three times a day, “whether we tested positive for Covid-19 or not”.

“Steam using eucalyptus oil, Vicks and hot stones. The virus becomes paralysed under extreme heat. Let’s stop circulating fake news and conspiracy theories and save lives.”

In a second message, the ANCYL in Tshwane punted “Covid-19-fighting pH foods”, which included lemons, garlic, avocados, mangoes, tangerines, oranges and pineapples.

“Note that the pH of coronavirus varies from 5.5 to 8.5. Therefore, all we have to do to eliminate the virus is to consume more alkaline foods above the acidity level of the virus.”

This, as President Cyril Ramaphosa warned against the spread of disinformation concerning the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

The claims about using an alkaline diet was debunked by Reuters, which noted the list of “alkaline” foods were, in fact, acidic, not alkaline.

ANCYL Tshwane spokesperson Nicholas Gongolo Munyai told News24 that, while the organisation subscribed to steaming, its poster on eating alkaline foods was sent out “prematurely” and was withdrawn immediately.

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