There is no “fight” between the ANC Youth League and President Jacob Zuma, its leader Julius Malema said on Thursday.
“These people going around saying that we don’t want President Zuma … they are using President Zuma to campaign against us,” he told journalists at Luthuli House in Johannesburg.
“They want to create a fight between us and President Zuma. There is no fight between us and President Zuma.
“So what is this noise we hear about that (ANCYL elective) conference being the end of President Zuma. No, it is not the end of president Zuma, it’s the end of us here in front,” he said, referring to the league’s leaders sitting alongside him.
‘None of the Youth League’s business’
Zuma had reportedly fallen out of favour with the organisation, which was instrumental in his rise to the ANC’s helm. Malema on Thursday said there was no discussion about ANC leaders in the youth league.
“There is one president of the ANC and that is President Zuma. He is uncontested … if you [do not] want to suffer political humiliation, you must not even think about [challenging] President Zuma between now and the 2012 conference of the ANC.”
The ANC elects new leadership at its conference in Mangaung next year.
“When he concludes his term of office he will enjoy the respect as a former president … Whether he finishes his term in 2012 or after two terms, it’s immaterial,” said Malema.
Malema was previously disciplined for comparing Zuma to former president Thabo Mbeki. The firebrand leader and the league played a key role in Mbeki’s ousting by Zuma. However, Malema was recently quoted singing Mbeki’s praises.
Malema told journalists Mbeki had not been invited to the league’s conference, nor was he expected to attend.
Disruptions
After earlier claiming that senior ANC leaders were out to destroy him and plotting to disrupt the league’s gathering next week, Malema said this would not happen.
“There is nobody that’s going to disrupt our conference, not even a single individual, no matter how powerful you may think you are. There is nobody because the rights to participate in that congress are reserved.”
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe earlier this week said the league was responsible for ensuring the conference, to be held in Midrand from June 16 to 20, went off smoothly.
Malema reiterated, however, that “there are people who are interested to see that conference not succeeding”.
“We are responsible for that conference, we’ll take charge.” — Sapa