The KwaZulu-Natal African National Congress Youth League expressed ”disgust” on Friday at the South African Communist Party delegates who booed its leader Julius Malema at a conference in Polokwane.
”The ANC Youth League in KwaZulu-Natal is disgusted by the arrogant behaviour of delegates at the South Africa Communist Party’s special congress who booed and hurled insults at our president Julius Malema,” provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said in a statement.
He said the ANCYL was starting to believe that the SACP was abusing its ”renewed friendship” with the ruling party.
”Now that there is a culture of open debate within the ANC-led alliance, the SACP finds it correct to continuously insult any ANC leader who dares differ with their view.”
Mtolo also ”condemned” a statement by SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, who rejected the ANCYL’s call for the nationalisation of mines.
”The ANC Youth League call for nationalisation of mines is not opportunistic, but is intended for the betterment of our people’s lives,” he said.
”The tendency of the SACP to always label those that oppose them with insulting terms shows that their debate is devoid of any logic. This is a clear indication that the culture of progressive politics has disappeared within the ranks of the SACP.”
Mtolo said Malema attended the congress at the invitation of SACP leaders.
”His attendance was a sign of a comrade who was willing to participate in the SACP discussion to ensure that the alliance is able to strengthen its strategic objectives.”
”As the ANCYL in KZN we will lead an open revolt against the SACP if they continue to insult our leaders. We further call upon the ANC leadership to intervene and call to order certain SACP members whose behaviour has become unbecoming,” said Mtolo.
Malema reportedly walked out of the conference on Thursday after being booed by delegates.
”I was unhappy with the delegates booing us when we were introduced,” he told reporters afterwards, according to the Times newspaper.
”The environment is hostile and not conducive for persuasion because delegates have wrongly perceived ideas about the leadership of the youth league and the ANC.
”You invite people to your conference and then you just boo them and howl at them like that? We were humiliated in front of everybody,” said Malema.
He later apparently asked ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, who is also the chairperson of the SACP, to address delegates at an open session where the media was allowed.
The Star reported that Mantashe refused, saying Malema could address delegates in a closed session, but soon after it started, Malema stormed out.
He vowed to complain to President Jacob Zuma.
Malema said the delegates were ”hostile” and he could not understand how they could boo him and ANC executive member Billy Masetlha, while a Standard Bank executive received a warm welcome.
”This is so shocking: that an alliance partner can be booed and monopoly capital in the form of Standard Bank can receive such a welcome by communists. This is a contradiction.”
Malema recently angered the SACP by calling its deputy general secretary Jeremy Cronin a ”white Messiah” whose permission he did not need to call for the nationalisation of mines. — Sapa