Provincial offices of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) came out in support of their leader on Tuesday — and blamed “forces of darkness” for the controversy surrounding Julius Malema’s personal assets and company directorships.
The Northern Cape’s provincial executive committee said it would back him for a second term as league president.
“We believe that his charisma and oratory skills complemented by his excellent work ethic would once again put him in pole position to come out on tops [sic] for a second term as the president of the ANC Youth League,” said one of three statements sent within minutes of each other after Malema had participated in radio interviews on Tuesday morning.
The Northern Cape branch had already begun “to mobilise our human arsenal and artillery to canvass for the candidature of Comrade Julius Malema …”
The Western Cape declared: “Once again the forces of darkness are converging against the vibrant voice of young people within the African National Congress.”
It believed that reports that he was a director of companies that made millions from government tenders were a smear campaign. “It will help none of us in the movement to parade about each other’s wealth in public because some among ourselves serve in different boards where we accumulate wealth.”
It said some Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) leaders had wives and partners on company boards, which made money for their partners. The league also named a high-ranking Cosatu official whom they said had been accused of abusing the federation’s credit card.
” … Yet no one raises anything about that, whilst our parents go home with meagre slave wages. That is stealing from the poor!” said the province’s league spokesperson, Ndoda Ngemntu.
“The ANC Youth League led by President Julius ‘Vuvuzela’ Malema remains the only militant and radical political youth organisation in the country, the continent and the world,” concluded the statement.
The Free State branch of the ANCYL laid part of the blame for the controversy on its former premier, Mosiuoa Lekota, who left the ANC to become a co-founder of the Congress of the People.
“The new entrants in the fray of public spat especially parading as genuine representatives of law abiding citizens and defenders of South Africa’s Constitution, is Mosiuoa Terror Lekota who climb on the bend-wagon [sic] because without him and his party having to launch scathing attacks to the ANC, their lifespan in the body politico is shortened everyday [sic].”
It wasn’t me
In an interview with the youth league leader on Tuesday morning, Eyewitness News anchor Redi Direko suggested Malema release a song entitled It wasn’t me for “blaming everyone but yourself”.
Malema denied being a director of SGL Engineering or any of the other companies reported to have been awarded contracts, insisting he had told his lawyer, Tummi Mokwena, to remove him as director when he became president of the youth league in 2008.
Direko then asked Malema if his lawyer was incompetent, because it appeared that he was, in fact, still a director.
“What if they’ve not updated their system?” replied Malema.
Direko then charged that Malema was “waffling” and said he had no proof that he had resigned.
But Malema said he would follow up information that he is still listed as a director of the companies.
Malema stressed that he had done nothing wrong and that if there was any wrongdoing “let it be reported and investigated”.
Direko also grilled Malema about the White Range Rover — sans number plates — that had dropped him off at the EWN Sandton studio.
Malema denied being aware of this and said: “I’m going to take this matter up with the person who was driving the car.
Sweet chariot: The white Range Rover — sans registration plates — that dropped Malema off at the Eyewitness News studios for his interview with news anchor Redi Direko on Tuesday. (Eyewitness News)
“It’s a very serious issue, whoever is driving should get locked up,” said Malema.
Metro police spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said on Tuesday that driving a car without a registration plate was a serious offence.
“If one plate is missing — it doesn’t matter if it is the front or the back — it’s [a fine of] R500,” said Mamonyane.
“If both are missing there is no admission of guilt. This means being charged at the nearest police station.”
Mamonyane said police saw driving a vehicle without proper identification as a serious offence, “because there are a lot of people who commit crimes with cars that have no number plates”.
Mamonyane said she was not aware that Malema was being driven in a vehicle without registration plates.