The ANCYL warned on Thursday that it would wage a “mass political education campaign” against the ANC following the disciplining of ANCYL president Julius Malema.
“The [ANCYL national executive committee (NEC)] appreciated that some members of the ANC leadership do not understand the autonomy of the ANC Youth League,” ANCYL secretary general Vuyiswa Tulelo said after an NEC meeting in Muldersdrift.
“We will embark on a mass political education campaign to educate members of the Youth League and leaders of the ANC,” she said.
Malema was brought before an ANC disciplinary hearing last week.
It found him guilty of charges related to his public attack on Zuma, in which Malema compared the President to his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki.
Malema was ordered to make a public apology to Zuma, the ANC and the public in general, attend anger-management classes and the ANC’s political school for 20 days. He was also fined R10 000.
Tulelo said the ANCYL took issue with the procedure by which the disciplinary hearing came about.
Procedures not followed?
“There are procedures [for a disciplinary hearing]. We are of the firm belief that those procedures were not followed,” she said.
“We think that aspects of the sentence will not hold.”
Even so, Tulelo said the ANCYL’s NEC as a whole, and not only Malema, would abide by the sentence.
“The NEC will attend the political education programmes prescribed for the president as a way of allowing space for collective development and political growth of the entire executive,” she said.
“The NEC will attend the anger management classes to attain skills and capabilities.”
Tulelo said Malema acted “as part of a collective” and punishment could not, therefore, single him out as an individual.
Similarly, the R10 000 fine would not be paid by Malema alone, but through member and youth donations.
Whatever prescribed
“We’ll mobilise young people and all members to donate whatever amounts of money prescribed,” said Tulelo.
The money would be paid into a special account created for that purpose.
Tulelo said Malema had already apologised to Zuma and the nation for his remarks.
“The president of the Youth League has apologised from that day and has continued to apologise… and we will still apologise to South Africa, because some of the things we say are not facilitating things.”
She said the ANCYL NEC had also decided to initiate disciplinary hearings of its own against some delegates at its recent provincial leadership conference in Limpopo.
“The NEC vowed to decisively deal with ill-disciplined and criminal elements that disrupt, corrupt and undermine ANYCL processes,” she said.
Clashes
At the conference there were clashes involving supporters of Malema and those of former provincial chairman Lehlohonolo Masoga.
Masoga’s allies claim they were ejected from the venue before voting.
ANCYL treasurer general Pule Mabe said that the organisation had repeated its belief that its investment arm, Lembede Investment Holdings, would be wound down.
The organisation would “invite unsolicited bids” for the company’s assets. Failing that, the company would liquidate and auction of those assets. — Sapa