Though there are other reasons with which it combined, there can be no doubt that the outrageous, provocative and inflammatory statements of Julius Malema, president of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), alienated many people and made them supportive of a breakaway party. This was mainly because, until recently, the ANC leadership failed to take any action against him.
But in an interview I had three months ago with President Kgalema Motlanthe — in his capacity as deputy president of the ANC — he was aware of the danger of such statements.
Following his earlier remarks about being willing to “kill for Zuma” — which Motlanthe criticised — Malema said that the ANCYL will “crush” anyone standing in its way, including those who sit on the national executive committee.
The ANCYL also launched a scathing attack on Motlanthe. He was accused of thinking he is beyond reproach, that he was power-hungry, had a secret agenda, projected himself as a messiah and that he was usurping the role of president of the ANC, Jacob Zuma.
When asked for a response, Motlanthe said: “I don’t know what lies behind these statements but the officials of the ANC and ANCYL will meet. After these allegations have been examined the ANC will comment. But those making such statements will have to take responsibility for them.”
The ANCYL also called on Zuma to “rein in Motlanthe”. To this he replied: “I don’t know if the youth league is really qualified to give such instructions to the president of the ANC. In fact I think this is a manifestation of the problem we have at this moment.”
But where did the ANCYL get the power and audacity to attack Motlanthe, the judiciary and so much more with impunity? And why did Zuma not publicly repudiate their attack against Motlanthe?
When Zuma recently stated that the ANC had dealt with Malema’s excesses it was too little too late. The damage to the ANC was done, and it may pay a price in the 2009 elections — though not severe enough to dislodge it from power.
But what happened to the investigation into the allegations by the ANCYL against Motlanthe?