/ 12 May 2010

Malema apologises to the nation

Malema Apologises To The Nation

ANC Youth League president Julius Malema has been ordered to apologise to President Jacob Zuma and attend anger management classes following his disciplinary hearing on Tuesday night, the ANC said.

Malema, who was facing charges of provoking “serious divisions” in the party, was also ordered to pay a R10 000 fine to a youth development project within the next three months and attend the ANC’s political school for 20 days, party spokesperson Brian Sokutu said in a statement.

“The National Disciplinary Committee [NDC] further ruled that should comrade Julius Malema be found guilty of contravening rule 25.5 (i) of the ANC Constitution within the next two years, his membership of the ANC shall be summarily suspended, for a period to be determined by the NDC.”

Malema was hauled before the ANC disciplinary hearing last week for publicly supporting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party, his calling a BBC journalist a “bastard” and a “bloody agent”, and his singing “shoot the boer” after it was banned by the high court.

Plea agreement reached
These charges were withdrawn during Tuesday’s proceedings after a plea bargain was reached with Malema’s representative, Mathews Phosa.

Malema was however found guilty on a charge relating to his public attack on Zuma. He also pleaded guilty to this charge.

He attacked Zuma for rebuking him in public and compared him to his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki, while addressing the media on April 11.

“You [Malema] are guilty of contravening Rule 25.5. (i) of the Constitution of the African National Congress by behaving in such a way as to provoke serious divisions or a break-down of unity in the organisation,” the charge read.

Public apology
Malema’s public apology states: “I, Julius Malema, apologise to the President of the ANC and the Republic, comrade Jacob Zuma and to the membership of the African National Congress and the public in general for the statements and utterances that I made on 11 April 2010 at the ANC Youth League Limpopo Provincial Congress implying that the ANC Youth League has taken a position against the President of the ANC.

“I accept that these statements had the effect of undermining the stature of the President of the African National Congress and of the Republic. It further may have had the effect of undermining the confidence of our people in the leadership of the ANC and of creating serious divisions and breakdown of unity in the organization.

“I make this apology unconditionally as I accept that as a leader of the ANC and of the ANC Youth League my conduct and public utterances should at all times reflect respect and restraint. I accept one of the key principles of Congress leadership as outlined in Through the Eye of the Needle, a policy document adopted by the 51st and 52nd National Conferences of the ANC, that an abiding quality of leadership is to learn from mistakes, to appreciate weaknesses and to correct them.

“I have learned from this mistake and therefore submit myself to the discipline of the ANC.” — Sapa